Latest / Star Trails: From Backyard Astronomy to Cosmic Wonder / Dawn Patrol: Planets, Meteors, and a Wandering Comet

Transcript

Dawn Patrol: Planets, Meteors, and a Wandering Comet · Star Trails: From Backyard Astronomy to Cosmic Wonder

• 0:07
  Howdy Star Gazers, and welcome to this episode
• 0:10
  of Star Trails. I'm Drew, and I'll be your guide
• 0:14
  to the night sky for the week starting April
• 0:16
  20th through the 26th. This week's episode is
• 0:21
  a shorter one, as there isn't much to report
• 0:23
  in the night sky that's different from previous
• 0:26
  weeks. We're monitoring a new comet that's fairly
• 0:30
  tricky to spot in the pre -dawn hours, and we're
• 0:33
  approaching the peak of the season's first meteor
• 0:35
  shower. So, grab a comfortable spot under the
• 0:39
  night sky and let's get started. The week begins
• 0:44
  with the moon in its last quarter phase. As the
• 0:48
  week progresses, the moon wanes towards a new
• 0:50
  moon, which will occur next Sunday, on April
• 0:54
  27th. With darker skies, this period could be
• 0:58
  an ideal time to track down some of those targets
• 1:01
  we mentioned in our Galaxy Season episode from
• 1:04
  March 30th. This week also marks the peak of
• 1:09
  the Lyrid meteor shower, which occurs on the
• 1:12
  night of April 21st into the morning of April
• 1:15
  22nd. Observers can expect up to 20 meteors per
• 1:20
  hour under ideal conditions. However, the waning
• 1:23
  crescent moon rising a few hours before dawn
• 1:27
  may slightly hinder visibility. Even with the
• 1:31
  slender moon, you shouldn't have any issues spotting
• 1:35
  brighter meteors. The radiant, that's the point
• 1:38
  from which the meteors appear to originate, is
• 1:41
  around the star Vega. But you can see them anywhere
• 1:45
  in the sky. Just look up. No special viewing
• 1:48
  equipment is needed. Additionally, the Eta Aquarid
• 1:52
  meteor shower begins tonight, with activity increasing
• 1:56
  towards its peak in early May. While more prominent
• 2:00
  in the southern hemisphere, northern observers
• 2:03
  may still catch glimpses of these swift meteors
• 2:06
  in the early morning hours. And speaking of early
• 2:10
  hours, a captivating planetary alignment is unfolding
• 2:14
  just before dawn. Venus, Saturn, and Mercury
• 2:19
  form a trio visible to the naked eye, with Venus
• 2:23
  shining the brightest. On April 25th, a slender
• 2:27
  crescent moon joins this assembly, enhancing
• 2:31
  the spectacle. In the evening sky, Jupiter remains
• 2:35
  prominent in the west, gradually setting earlier
• 2:38
  each night. Mars trails behind, still hanging
• 2:42
  out in Gemini. Look for its reddish glow near
• 2:45
  the twin stars of Castor and Pollux. Comet C
• 2:50
  2025 F2, or SWAN, is putting on a subtle but
• 2:55
  promising show for early risers this week. Discovered
• 2:59
  in late March, this newly arrived visitor is
• 3:02
  glowing with a characteristic green hue, thanks
• 3:06
  to excited carbon molecules in its coma. Right
• 3:10
  now it's visible low on the east -northeastern
• 3:14
  horizon just before sunrise. Binoculars or a
• 3:18
  small telescope will help you spot it near the
• 3:20
  great square of Pegasus. The comet is currently
• 3:24
  around magnitude 8 .4, so it's still below naked
• 3:29
  eye visibility. Swan will approach perihelion
• 3:33
  on May 1, when it will be just 31 million miles
• 3:37
  from the Sun. After perihelion, it will transition
• 3:41
  to the evening sky, possibly offering a beautiful
• 3:45
  pairing with the Pleiades star cluster around
• 3:48
  April 30 to May 2. For backyard astronomers,
• 3:53
  this is a unique chance to catch a comet with
• 3:55
  a once every 70 ,000 year orbit. I'm already
• 4:00
  seeing reports from some astrophotographers that
• 4:03
  say this comet is growing dimmer. So, as always,
• 4:07
  these cosmic snowballs are proving unpredictable.
• 4:10
  We'll keep an eye on it in the coming weeks.
• 4:18
  If you found this episode helpful, let me know
• 4:21
  and feel free to send in your questions and observations.
• 4:24
  The easiest way to do that is by visiting our
• 4:27
  website, StarTrails .Show. This is also a great
• 4:31
  way to share the show with friends. Until next
• 4:34
  time, keep looking up and exploring the night
• 4:37
  sky. Clear skies everyone!