ACROSS AMERICA — The undisputed superstar in April’s celestial calendar is the total solar eclipse on Monday, the 8th, but there are plenty of other reasons to look up though, including a couple of spring meteor showers.
With the eclipse a little more than two weeks out, it looks like cloud cover could disappoint eclipse chasers in much of the U.S. path of totality from Texas to Maine. Right now, the forecast calls for sunny skies in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas but increasing cloudiness and rain from Illinois north to Maine.
But the forecast cosuld change. With clear skies, why not keep the eclipse fun going with a party that lasts long after the sun has gone to bed for good?
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The April 8 nighttime sky could also reveal Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, which NASA meteor expert Gordon Johnston said should be visible with binoculars or a telescope, and possibly with the naked eye if it shines brightly enough.
The greatest uncertainty in determining how easy it is to see a comet is in how much dust and gas it will give off, as it is the sunlight illuminating these plumes that make the comet brighter, Johnston said, noting this particular comet has already had outbursts that have temporarily made it 10 to 100 times brighter. As the comet moves closer to the sun, making its closest approach on April 21, such outbursts become less likely.
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“My recommendation is to pay attention to the news and check regularly to see if the comet has had an outburst, as this may push its brightness into the visible range,” Johnston wrote on NASA. “In addition, I plan to look for the comet with binoculars, both on April 8 and 9 before moonlight begins to interfere and in the weeks before the closest approach to the Sun on April 21.”
He reiterated the uncertainty in predicting when a comet will be at its brightest, quoting astronomer David H. Levy, who once observed, “Comets are like cats; they have tails, and they do precisely what they want.”
A Chance To See Fireballs
Also this month, the full moon is on April 23. It is also known as the full pink moon because it occurs at the time of year when wild ground phlox, a type of wildflower with pink petals, begins to bloom.
The timing of the full moon isn’t great for people anxious to see shooting stars. The Lyrid meteor shower, which runs April 15-29, peaks overnight April 21-22 just before the moon turns full.
It’s an average sky show, producing about 15 or 20 shooting stars an hour, but it historically has produced bright Lyrid fireballs that blaze across the sky and leave dust trails that last for several seconds, according to NASA. Fireballs can be bright enough to penetrate bright moonlight.
The Lyrids can fire off a surprise, though, with counts of as many as 100 shooting stars an hour, according to NASA. Sightings of these heavier showers occurred in Virginia in 1803, in Greece in 1922, Japan in 1945 and the United States in 1982.
The Eta Aquariids, which intersect with the Lyrids, offer a much better chance to see shooting stars. Sometimes called the Eta Aquarids, the meteor shower rambles along from April 15 to May 27, peaking around May 5-6, when the moon will appear about 14 percent full.
The Eta Aquariids have a broad peak, and that means skywatchers may see elevated numbers of meteors a few days before and after the peak. At the peak, about 30 meteors may be seen an hour, although as many as 60 an hour have been reported, according to NASA.
They’re known for speed, entering Earth’s atmosphere at about 148,000 miles an hour, and also for leaving glowing “trains” — incandescent bits of debris — that last for several seconds to minutes.
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