Later tonight, Lyrids Meteor Rain Starts Decline

TEMPO Interactive, Bandung - Rain Lyrids meteor will drop to 26 from tonight April 2010. The annual phenomenon can be witnessed in Indonesia after midnight.

According to lead researcher of astronomy and astrophysics at the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (Lapan) Thomas Djamaluddin, the peak of the meteor shower occurs on 21-22 April. At that time, an estimated 10-20 meteors that appear every hour.

"Usually at certain moments in the increase of the meteor, but this year is normal," he said, Thursday (15/4/2010). Meteor from the start known Tatcher comet astronomers since 2600 years ago.

Meteor showers it will come down near the constellation Lyra. It lies somewhere between the horizon to the northeast sky. With the weather conditions began memasukim dry season, marked by the rare rains fall, he said, most likely a meteor shower that can be witnessed without the barred clouds just after dawn until 01:00 o'clock before dawn.
Meteor showers that can be seen clearly by the inhabitants of the earth in the northern hemisphere. In Indonesia, which located on the equator, an astronomer at the observatory said Evan Irawan Bosscha Akbar, the possibility is rather difficult to see. "His position was near the horizon, perhaps somewhat hindered the trees," he said. Before and after the peak, the number of meteors that fall is estimated that only one per hour.

For astronomers, the meteor shower from the comet that appeared near the Earth every 415 years is considered normal. Meteor showers come from comets that melt ice when its orbit near the sun. Particles of dust, ice and loose rock was burning up in the atmosphere before falling to earth.

According to Evan, this year there were 11 major meteor showers including Lyrids. Every year, the earth watered approximately 25 thousand tons of space dust.