||| BY LIN MCNULTY, theORCASONIAN EDITOR |||
The National Weather Service, in a seemingly routine release, is forecasting warm, 70-degree weather, possibly followed up by 80 degrees on Sunday, which is pleasurable news as we greet the full impact of Spring following a bizarre year that has pulled many of us from our normal comfort zones.
Fans of celestial wonders, however, as well as lovers of warm weather are in for a treat this weekend with these clear skies — an opportunity to see the Lyrid meteor showers. The Lyrids, which peak in late April, are one of the oldest known meteor showers and have been observed for 2,700 years, according to NASA. During that 2,700 year display, the meteor shower has been observable on Orcas Island for maybe 11 of those years (rough estimate based on personal experience with no scientific data to back it up) due to our sometimes seemingly endless PNW cloud cover.
“The Lyrids are known for their fast and bright meteors. Though not as fast or as plentiful as the famous Perseids in August, Lyrids can surprise watchers with as many as 100 meteors seen per hour,” NASA reports.
For best viewing, NASA advises you lie down with your feet pointing east between moonset and dawn and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible. But you’ll have to wait about 30 minutes in the dark before your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors. “Be patient,” they say, “the show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to catch a glimpse.”
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