Pink moon & Lyrid meteor shower LIVE – How to watch dazzling sky show TONIGHT ahead of ‘shooting star’ peak this week

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STARGAZERS can enjoy this spring’s first full moon this weekend before the Lyrids meteor shower peaks

The Pink Moon has been lighting up the sky since early Friday and will continue to do so until Monday morning, according to NASA.

The moon reached its peak fullness on Saturday afternoon, but is set to remain highly visible throughout the rest of the weekend.

Those who want to see the display should “find an open area and watch as the Moon rises just above the horizon, at which point it will appear its biggest and take on a golden hue,” according to the Old Farmers’ Almanac.

April’s full moon could have a profound effect on stargazers this weekend, according to a spiritual advisor.

The celestial event will cause a powerful change in the lives of all 12 of the star signs, expert Meghan Rose said.

Rose noted that the moon “actually marks the beginning of the Taurus-Scorpio eclipse that’s taking place over the next year and a half, so this is actually going to be really powerful.”

The Pink Moon is just one of the two celestial displays to look forward to in the coming days.

The Lyrids meteor shower and a full pink moon will both grace night skies above the US this week.

The Lyrid meteor shower is set to peak on April 22 when about 18 “shooting stars” will appear per hour.

Read our pink moon and Lyrids meteor shower live blog for the latest news and updates…

  • Upcoming events in astronomy: April, continued

    Even with the use of a telescope, the year’s third major astronomical event is the only one that cannot be viewed, Accuweather reported.

    Even though the moon does not become blue in color, the phrase “blue moon” has gained popularity in recent years to denote the second full moon in a calendar month.

    The black moon in April is the polar opposite of the blue moon, which is the month’s second new moon.

    New moons are impossible to see because the lit side of the moon is pointing away from the Earth at this time.

    Despite the fact that the black moon cannot be seen in the sky, this is an excellent time of the month for stargazing since there is no natural light pollution from the moon, offering skywatchers darker vistas of the universe.

  • Upcoming events in astronomy: April

    April is International Astronomy Month and those who want to enjoy the night sky may do so on April 21 and 22 when the Lyrid meteor shower peaks.

    This will be the first meteor shower in over three months to peak, according to Accuweather, bringing an end to a long period of no meteor showers and generating roughly 15 shooting stars every hour.

    Less than two weeks after the Lyrids, the eta Aquarids, a meteor shower that can produce between 20 and 40 meteors per hour on the night of May 4 into May 5, will occur.

    For the Southern Hemisphere, this is also the finest meteor shower of the year.

  • New Moon vs. Full Moon

    When the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun, its rear side is lit up – leaving it in darkness for humanity.

    That’s called a New Moon.

    And when the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth to the Sun, it’s fully lit – giving us a Full Moon.

    There are various phases in between these two, with a total cycle of about 29.5 days.

  • Does the moon produce its own light?

    The Moon is little more than just a rock orbiting Earth.

    Importantly, it does not produce any visible light of its own.

    So when we see the Moon, it’s only thanks to light from other objects (like the Earth or Sun) hitting it, and then bouncing off down to our eyes.

    The Moon, the Earth, and the Sun are constantly changing positions, which means we see different parts of the Moon at any given time.

  • How many phases of the moon are there?

    There are four moon phases — New Moon, First Quarter, Full Moon, and Last Quarter.

    A Full Moon means the Earth is between the Moon and the Sun and the Moon’s nearside is entirely lit.

    The Moon doesn’t change shape and doesn’t produce any light – how we see it is due to the brightness of the Sun reflecting on it.

  • What is a meteor shower?

    Meteor showers take place when space rocks, also known as meteoroids, enter the Earth’s atmosphere. When there are numerous rocks at the same time, it’s called a meteor shower.

    Meteoroids are often so small they burn up in the earth’s atmosphere, so there is little chance of a collision.

    Meteor showers are named after the constellation where the rocks appear to be coming from.

  • Where is the edge of space, continued

    In theory, once this 100km line is crossed, the atmosphere becomes too thin to provide enough lift for conventional aircraft to maintain flight.

    At this altitude, a conventional plane would need to reach orbital velocity or risk falling plunging back to Earth.

    The world governing body for aeronautic and astronautic records, the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI), and many other organizations use the Karman Line as a way of determining when space flight has been achieved.

  • Where is the edge of space?

    A common definition of space is known as the “Karman Line.”

    The Karman Line is an imaginary boundary 100km (62miles) above mean sea level, explains the National Environmental Satellite Data and Information Service in the US.

  • What causes shooting stars, part two

    As a rock falls towards the earth, the resistance of the air on the meteor makes it hot and the air around it glows – which has led to them usually being known as shooting stars.

    They often appear with a streak of light behind them, caused by the remains of the super-heated rock burning up as the meteoroid falls to Earth.

  • What causes shooting stars?

    Shooting stars, also known as falling stars, have nothing to do with stars, despite their name.

    The streaks of light you can see are actually caused by tiny bits of dust and rock called meteoroids entering the Earth’s atmosphere and burning up.

  • How to watch a meteor shower, continued

    When trying to observe the showers, always look toward the radiant (where the meteor originates). The shower is usually named after the radiant constellation.

    Most meteors can be seen with the naked eye, so don’t worry if you don’t have expensive equipment.

    However, binoculars and telescopes can help you get an even closer look.

  • How to watch a meteor shower

    The darker location you visit, the brighter the meteors will appear in the sky, so plan accordingly.

    Check the lunar calendar before the event, because if the moon is too bright during its full or gibbous phase, it may obscure the view.

    With all meteor showers, dry, clear skies are also key.

  • Dates of full moons change

    Because a moon month is slightly shorter than our calendar months, the dates of the full moons shift slightly from year-to-year.

    But the months they appear in stay the same, and every year we see a Pink Moon in April.

  • History of naming full moons

    The practice of naming full moons dates back to Native American culture.

    Tribes kept track of the seasons with distinct names for each month’s full moon.

  • Is the moon pink?

    The moon should look bright and full in the sky, but it’s not necessarily pink.

    It looks much like any other full moon.

  • What is a Pink Moon?

    The term comes from the moss pink herb, or wild ground phlox flower, which is widespread by spring.

    Other names for this particular orb include the Full Sprouting Grass Moon, the Egg Moon or the Full Fish Moon.

    You shouldn’t necessarily expect it to look pink – in fact, it will look much like any other full moon.

  • When will the Lyrids shower begin?

    The dazzling Lyrid meteor shower is set to begin on April 14 and you can spot the shooting stars throughout this month.

    This year’s showing will continue until April 30 and is due to peak on the night of April 22, when about 18 “shooting stars” will appear per hour.

  • What are the Lyrids, continued

    You don’t necessarily need to look in a certain area as the meteors can appear all over the sky.

    The Lyrid shower is one of the oldest known, with records of visible meteors going back 2,700 years.

    The best time to spot the meteors is early in the morning or in the evening before the moon rises.

  • What are the Lyrids?

    The Lyrids happen each April and occur when Earth’s orbit takes it through a comet’s tail.

    The meteor shower is made from falling debris from the comet Thatcher.

    It gets its name from the Lyra constellation as sometimes the meteors look like they’re radiating from a place near that location.

  • Which zodiac signs will be affected by moon?

    This Full Pink Moon offers a vital chance to establish a better balance in our relationships between assertiveness and compromise.

    Full moons are the best time to ask the cosmos for additional help in purging.

    The following signs will be most affected by the pink moon, according to StyleCaster.com:

    • Libra
    • Sagittarius
    • Capricorn
    • Pisces
  • When to see the pink moon setting?

    According to NJ.com, the morning moon will be setting in the west-southwestern sky around 6.20am Saturday, 6.47am Sunday, and 7.18am Monday if you want to view it.

  • When will the moon rise on Sunday?

    The moon will rise in the east-southeastern sky at 8.57pm on Easter Sunday, which will be late this year due to the full moon cycle, and will be 99 percent full, according to NJ.com.

  • How far does Comet Thatcher orbit?

    According to EarthSky.org, Comet Thatcher’s path brings it near Earth’s orbit, then orbits at a distance of 110 astronomical units.

  • Lyrid showers in history

    The Lyrid meteor shower has the distinction of being one of the earliest meteor showers ever seen, EarthSky.org reports.

    This shower has been recorded for over 2,700 years. In the year 687 BCE, the ancient Chinese appear to have witnessed the Lyrid meteors pouring like rain.

  • When will Comet Thatcher be back?

    Per EarthSky.com, Comet Thatcher will be back in the year 2278; however, the Lyrid shower – the comet’s trail – will arrive every April.





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