Lyrid meteor shower lights up sky around world (+video)
Clear skies and the absence of a bright moon this past weekend made for a spectacular Lyrid meteor shower, which dazzles skywatchers around the globe.
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First, scientists developed a special meteor camera designed to photograph fireballs while dangling from a weather balloon flying in the stratosphere. A team of students from Union High School and Home Street Middle School in Bishop, Calif., launched the camera-equipped balloon late Saturday night (April 21). The second event occurred in space; the Lyrids were expected to be visible to astronauts on the International Space Station.
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NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke at the agency's Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama coordinated efforts to track meteors on the ground, by the student balloon and by station astronauts to create an unprecedented look at the Lyrid meteor shower. The Marshall center posted video and images of the student balloon launch online, along with camera views of Earth from the station, but whether Lyrid meteors were actually seen by astronauts remains to be seen.
In Kulim, Kedah, Malaysia, skywatcher Veerayen Mohanadas also snapped amazing views of the Lyrid meteor shower.
"It seems very special to me when seeing the 'shooting star' coming from star Vega," Mohanadas said.
Cooke also led an NASA webchat and video stream on the agency's website that provided live views from meteor cameras for observers plagued by bad weather.
Cooke said the Lyrid meteor shower is the second notable meteor display of the year, but the pace is about to pickup.
In May, the Eta Aquarids — one of two annual meteor showers created by remnants of the famed Halley's comet — will peak between May 5 and 6, according to a NASA guide.
You can follow SPACE.com Managing Editor Tariq Malik on Twitter @tariqjmalik. Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.
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- 2012 Meteor Shower Skywatching Calendar
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