The Lyrid Meteor Shower Late Night Star Party

The Lyrid Meteor Shower is going to be a GREAT ONE this year thanks to a near-moonless night and a weekend timeframe.

For this event, we will combine our regular star party, i.e. viewing planets, galaxies, nebulae, and star-clusters with staying up LATE into the early morning hours when the meteor shower’s radiant is high, and more/brighter shooting stars are likely.

The Lyrid Meteor Shower is caused when the Earth passes through the debris leftover by Comet Thatcher. The highpoint of the meteor shower is predicted between the 21st and 23rd of April, and may yield as many as 10-15 meteors per hour. Although rare, the Lyrids are known for surges that bring rates of up to 100 meteors per hour!

• The event will begin Saturday evening at 10PM, and the sky-park will remain open until 2AM Sunday morning.
• Bring your own lawn chairs, blankets, pillows, etc.
• Bring your own cooler, refreshments and snacks.
• Feel free to come anytime between 10pm and 2am. Lay back, relax, and stay as long as you would like.
• Our billboard light on at the corner of Raymond Rd. & 98th St. will go out and stay out around 11:30pm. Be sure you know our exact location / coordinates if you are joining us later in the morning hours.
• Although the meteors will be the big show for the evening, we will have our telescopes trained on dozens of beautiful objects throughout the evening.

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

• No Registration
• Open to Everyone
• Arrive Anytime Between the Times Given
• Stay for the Entire Event or As Long As You Want
• No Park Permit Required
• No Telescope Needed – You are welcome to bring your own equipment!

Branched Oak Observatory is located 20min northwest of Lincoln, Nebraska, near but not inside the Branched Oak Lake and Recreation Area. You can find a Google Map to Branched Oak Observatory here.