Later tonight, Lyrids Meteor Rain Starts Decline

TEMPO Interactive, Bandung - Rain Lyrids meteor will fall from tonight until 26 April 2010. The annual phenomenon can be witnessed in Indonesia after midnight.

According to principal investigator for astronomy and astrophysics at the National Aeronautics and Space Agency (Lapan) Thomas Jamaladin, the height of the meteor shower occurs on 21-22 April. At that time, an estimated 10-20 meteors that appear every hour.

"Usually at certain moments in the increase of the meteor, but this year is normal," he said, Thursday (15/4/2010). Tatcher comet meteor from the start known astronomer since 2600 years ago.

Meteor showers it will come down near the constellation Lyra. It lies somewhere between the horizon to the northeast sky. With the weather conditions began memasukim dry season, marked by the rare rains fall, he said, most likely a meteor shower that can be witnessed without the barred clouds just after dawn until 01:00 o'clock before dawn.

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TEMPO Interaktif, Bandung - Hujan meteor Lyrids akan turun mulai malam ini hingga 26 April 2010. Fenomena tahunan itu bisa disaksikan di seluruh Indonesia selepas tengah malam.

Menurut peneliti utama astronomi dan astrofisika di Lembaga Penerbangan dan Antariksa Nasional (LAPAN) Thomas Djamaluddin, masa puncak hujan meteor terjadi pada 21-22 April. Saat itu, diperkirakan ada 10-20 meteor yang muncul setiap jam.

"Biasanya pada saat-saat tertentu terjadi lonjakan meteor, tapi tahun ini normal," katanya, Kamis (15/4/2010). Meteor dari komet Tatcher tersebut mulai diketahui astronom sejak 2600 tahun lalu.

Hujan meteor itu akan turun dekat rasi Lyra. Letaknya berada di antara horison hingga atas langit sebelah timur laut. Dengan kondisi cuaca yang mulai memasukim musim kemarau, ditandai dengan hujan yang jarang turun, kata dia, kemungkinan besar hujan meteor itu bisa disaksikan tanpa dihalangi awan selepas pukul 01.00 dinihari hingga menjelang subuh.

Hujan meteor itu bisa disaksikan dengan jelas oleh penduduk bumi di belahan utara. Di Indonesia yang berada di khatulistiwa, kata astronom dari Observatorium Bosscha Evan Irawan Akbar, kemungkinan agak sulit dilihat. "Posisinya dekat horison, mungkin agak terhalang pepohonan," katanya. Sebelum dan sesudah masa puncaknya, jumlah meteor yang jatuh diperkirakan hanya sebuah tiap jam.

Bagi para astronom, hujan meteor dari komet yang muncul tiap 415 tahun dekat bumi ini dianggap biasa. Hujan meteor itu berasal dari lapisan es komet yang mencair ketika orbitnya dekat dengan matahari. Partikel debu, es, dan batu yang terlepas itu terbakar di atmosfir sebelum jatuh ke bumi.

Menurut Evan, tahun ini ada 11 hujan meteor yang besar termasuk Lyrids. Setiap tahun, bumi disiram sekitar 25 ribu ton debu angkasa.

ANWAR SISWADI

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Meteor showers that can be seen clearly by the inhabitants of the earth in the northern hemisphere. In Indonesia, which located on the equator, an astronomer at the observatory said Evan Irawan Bosscha Akbar, the possibility is rather difficult to see. "His position was near the horizon, perhaps somewhat hindered the trees," he said. Before and after the peak, the number of meteors that fall is estimated that only one per hour.

For astronomers, the meteor shower from the comet that appeared near the Earth every 415 years is considered normal. Meteor showers come from comets that melt ice when its orbit near the sun. Particles of dust, ice and rock that escaped, burning in the atmosphere before falling to earth.

According to Evan, this year there were 11 major meteor showers including Lyrids. Each year, the earth watered approximately 25 thousand tons of space dust.

ANWAR SISWADI