The Lyrids

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Image Details:

The Lyrids are a meteor shower which is caused by the debris stream from Comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher. As Earth passes through this stream of particles they burn up in our atmosphere and cause the ‘shooting stars’ we see. They are called Lyrids as their radiant point is near the constellation Lyra, or near the bright blue star Vega seen in the upper left of this photo. The Lyrids are a relatively weak meteor shower as compared to the Perseids and Geminids of August and December, but have occasional years of impressive activity. Most of the meteors seen here are not even Lyrids as they have differing radiant points.

Each of these meteors does appear to have a unique color. This is caused by variances in their chemical makeup, which can include Sodium, Iron, Magnesium, and Carbon compounds.

EQUIPMENT:

  • Sigma 28mm f/1.4 ART at f/2.8

  • Canon EOS RP

  • iOptron Skyguider Pro

EXPOSURES:

  • 396 x 30” at ISO 800 (3h 18m total)

MISC DETAILS:

  • Processing Software: PixInsight

  • Taken from: Wichita, KS, Bortle 5

  • Capture Dates: 22 April, 2023

 

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