SPACE CHENNAI - GAM 2020 -LYRIDS METEOR SHOWER REPORT

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May 07

2020

by SPACE Chennai

GLOBAL ASTRONOMY MONTH – LYRIDS METEOR SHOWER REPORT

City: Chennai

Date: 22/04/2020

Global Astronomy Month (GAM), organized in April every year by Astronomers Without Borders, is the world's largest global celebration of astronomy. For this year, SPACE has suggested several GAM events for conduction by SPACE associated schools.

HIGHLIGHTS:

• Total number of participants 600.
• Science behind the Lyrids Meteor Showers event is discussed in online video.
• This program motivated the participants to make use of this international opportunity provided by SPACE for observing the celestial event meteor showers on real time.
• Participants were trained well and the concepts were made clear for performing the observation from their home.
• Participants observed this event personally in their residence and shared their experience with us.

DESCRIPTION:

In astronomy, A meteor shower is when a number of meteors that appear to radiate from one point in the sky at a particular date each year. The radiant is the apparent focal point of a meteor shower.

• Named after constellation Lyra.
• It tends to peak around April 22 or 23.
• Oldest Recorded Meteor Shower seen over 2,500 years ago.
• The fireballs in the meteor shower are created by debris from comet Thatcher.
• The comet takes about 415 years to orbit around the Sun.
• The comet is expected to be visible from Earth again in 2276!

PHOTOGRAPHS:

Constellation, Direction and Radiant point for Lyrids Meteor Shower observation

Alt-AZ for Real time meteor shower observation

CONCLUSION:

                       The participants understood the concept of meter showers and various meteor showers and observed this wonderful celestial event and were excited.