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Meteor shower, partial lunar eclipse visible this April


A meteor shower and a partial lunar eclipse will highlight the treats for stargazers this April, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Wednesday.
 
PAGASA OIC Vicente Malano said the Lyrids meteor shower will peak on April 22, and a partial lunar eclipse will be visible in the Philippines on April 26.
 
"The shower typically generates a dozen meteors per hour under optimal conditions with a brief maximum that lasts for less than a day," Malano said.
 
However, he said a bright Gibbous Moon may disrupt the view of the fainter meteors during predawn viewing.
 
Malano said the Lyrids, while not numerous, are "bright and fast," though they have "generally been weak" in recent years.
 
"The Lyrids meteor shower has been observed for more than 2,600 years. Chinese records show that 'stars fell like rain' during the meteor shower of 687 B.C. However, in recent times, the Lyrids have generally been weak," he noted.
 
An article on EarthSky.org recommended that the "hour before dawn is best" to view the shower.
 
"Usually, the hour before dawn is best, regardless of your location on the globe. The Lyrids are generally a modest shower, offering perhaps 10 to 20 meteors per hour in a dark, moonless sky," it said.
 
Partial lunar eclipse
 
Malano said a partial lunar eclipse will be visible in the Philippines April 26.
 
He said the umbral eclipse magnitude will be 1.47 percent and will also be visible primarily in Australia, most of Asia, Africa, Europe and Antarctica.
 
In Manila, Malano said the moon will rise at 5:43 p.m. on April 25, and will set at 5:40 a.m. on April 26.
 
"The eclipse will begin at 2:03 a.m. Philippine Standard Time (PST) and will end at 6:11 a.m. (PST)," he said.
 
PAGASA said the penumbral eclipse begins at 2:03 a.m., while the partial eclipse begins at 3:54 a.m.
 
It added the partial eclipse ends 4:21 a.m. while the penumbral eclipse ends at 6:11 a.m.
 
Malano said lunar eclipses are "safe to watch," and observers need not use any kind of protective filters for the eyes.
 
"A pair of binocular will help magnify the view and will make the red coloration of the Moon brighter," he said.
 
Stars and constellations
 
For April, the seven stars of the Big Dipper will be visible at 8 p.m., in the north-northeastern hemisphere.
 
"The curved handle of the Big Dipper is pointing towards a bright orange star Arcturus of the constellation Bootes, the Herdsman. Due south will be another bright star Spica, the prominent star of the constellation Virgo, the Virgin," Malano said.
 
Malano also said M44, 10 stars of the Beehive Cluster of the constellation Cancer will shine between magnitude +6.3 to +6.9 and can be observed with binoculars.
 
Planets
 
Jupiter will be visible at magnitude -2.1 above the night sky and lie among the stars of the constellation Taurus. to the northeast of the V-shaped Hyades star cluster.
 
Stargazers using a modest telescope or binoculars can see Jupiter’s Galillean satellites Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.
 
Saturn will rise two hours after sunset and will be visible in the evening sky, above the east-southeastern horizon.
 
It will glow at magnitude +0.3 and will lie among the background stars of the constellation Libra.
 
"Viewing through a telescope, the ringed planet will show its disk at 19 seconds of an arc in diameter across the equator," Malano said.
 
He added the visible ring system will measure at 43 x 13 seconds of an arc to our light of sight during opposition.
 
Saturn’s largest moon Titan will be visible at magnitude +8.4 and can be easily seen through any optical instruments.
 
Neptune and Uranus will be found low at the eastern horizon before dawn, located among the background stars of the constellations Pisces and Aquarius.
 
They will glow at magnitude +5.9 and +7.9, respectively, but modest-sized binoculars or a telescope and star map may be needed to observe the two planets.
 
Mercury will be found at about 7 degrees above the east-southeastern horizon and will continue to appear lower in altitude each morning.
 
Venus and Mars will be difficult to observe during the month, PAGASA added. — TJD, GMA News
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