Dear Blogger
Messager from Karen Smith, Little Ness Astronomer.
There's a few interesting astronomical events coming up, providing we have clear skies - fingers crossed!
Tonight - Starlink will be going over head. Starlink is a train of satellites so they'll look like a chain of lights. Hopefully visible, according to my little app (Find Starlink - free download), 9.23pm look southeast to east and 10.58pm look to the west.
Tonight - Starlink will be going over head. Starlink is a train of satellites so they'll look like a chain of lights. Hopefully visible, according to my little app (Find Starlink - free download), 9.23pm look southeast to east and 10.58pm look to the west.
Lyrid meteor shower
You may be able to catch a few meteors from tonight on wards but the shower will peak on the nights of 21st & 22nd of April. Look towards the north east to the constellation Lyra which is where they will appear to come from. This meteor shower is debris from comet Thatcher burning up as it enters the earths atmosphere. Pic attached to help you identify Lyra.
You don't need a telescope or binoculars to view a meteor shower as they are visible with the naked eye and travel very very fast. The best way to meteor spot is to let your eyes adjust to the dark and lie down so you see as much of the sky as possible. You'll see many using peripheral vision. Wrap up warm!
Eta Aquarids meteor shower
This might not be very spectacular because, even if it's clear, the moon will be quite bright but you never know, you might see a few. This is pieces of Halley's comet burning up in the earths atmosphere on the late nights/early mornings of 5th & 6th of May. Look towards the south.
Happy spotting,
Karen
