One of the best thing about New Hampshire are the area with virtually no light pollution. Compared with other states that have quite a few large cities within close proximity of each other, New Hampshire towns are considered spread out. That might make for long car rides, but it’s absolutely perfect when you want to see the night sky! This is especially beneficial during periods of impressive meteor showers like the Lyrid Shower we’re expecting to see in April. Here’s what you should know!
This spring’s most anticipated meteor shower, the Lyrid meteor shower, will be visible over New Hampshire between April 16th and 25th.
Tom Lee / Flickr
New Hampshire does get its fair share of meteors, but the Lyrid is particularly special because it can often include surges of lights leading to more than 100 meteors in a single hour.
ikewinski / Flickr
It can be hard to predict when these surges will take place, which makes choosing a time to view it even more exciting.
vastateparksstaff / Flickr
To find the shower, look for the bright star Vega in the Lyra constellation. This is the radiant point, which means the paths of the meteors will appear to begin here. You can find the star by checking out a map, or download a night sky app ahead of time. You can point most of these into the sky and the app will tell you what you’re seeing.
blob rana / Flickr
In April Vega will rise over New Hampshire around 10 p.m. And, with the moon at just a sliver, dark viewing conditions should be great.
ikewinski / Flickr
This year, astronomers are saying the best time to view will be during the darkest hours of the pre-dawn on April 22nd.
Sjensen~ / Flickr
You’ll need to be patient while viewing, as these meteors fly by on their own time. And they can’t be predicted.
iahvector / Flickr
But, during a dark sky you can expect to see between 10 and 15 meteors each hour.
Tony Lee Glenn / YouTube.com And, of course, you should always have your fingers crossed for a surge of more than 100 an hour!
For a taste of what you can expect on a normal night, check out this time lapse video!
Tom Lee / Flickr
ikewinski / Flickr
vastateparksstaff / Flickr
blob rana / Flickr
Sjensen~ / Flickr
iahvector / Flickr
Tony Lee Glenn / YouTube.com
And, of course, you should always have your fingers crossed for a surge of more than 100 an hour!
To appreciate more of New Hampshire’s stars, check out what we found. This amazing time-lapse video shows the state like you’ve never seen it before!
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Address: New Hampshire, USA
