California fireball excitement plus sweet sights in the western sky

I managed one Lyrid this morning at the start of dawn. A white spark shot out of Lyra when I looked up from the scope to take in the Milky Way and Summer Triangle. Twilight and clouds soon took over, … Continue reading →

A Lyrid fireball blazes across the sky over Ozark, Ark. Sunday morning during the shower's peak. Vega and the meteor radiant are at top center. Thanks and credit to Brian Emfinger. Click photo to visit Brian's website for more photos.
I managed one Lyrid this morning at the start of dawn. A white spark shot out of Lyra when I looked up from the scope to take in the Milky Way and Summer Triangle. Twilight and clouds soon took over, but I was happy and surprised to see my solo sparkler. Lyrid activity drops off quickly after maximum. Others with clear skies during Sunday morning’s peak reported a good shower with counts of 10-20 meteors per hour and a few fireballs to boot.
People in California and Nevada yesterday didn’t have to bother looking to know a meteor crashed through their sky. Yesterday around 8 a.m. a fireball brighter than the full moon shot across the ...