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said to be the size of a mini-van. Was this object related to the Lyrid meteor shower? No. Meteors in annual showers are the result of rice-grain-sized, icy debris left behind in the orbits of comets. The Lyrids' parent body is Comet Thatcher. Every year in April, the Earth plunges through the orbital path of this comet. Bits and pieces left behind by the comet smash into the Earth's upper atmosphere and vaporize. We see the falling, vaporizing grains as Lyrid meteoers, which rarely survive their fiery trip through Earth's atmosphere.
• The April 22, 2012 fireball, on the other hand, was clearly rocky. In fact, two days after the fireball - thanks to tracking of the meteor by Doppler weather radar - a small rocky fragment was picked up in the Henningsen Lotus Park just west of Coloma, California. It turned out to be the meteorite from the April 22 fireball. NASA scientists later said they struck scientific gold with this object, whose rapid recovery let them study for the first time a primitive meteorite with little exposure to the elements.
• Bottom line: The 2013 Lyrid meteor should will be climbing to its peak over the coming weekend - around April 19-22. Simply find a dark, open sky away from pesky artificial lights, enjoy the comfort of a reclining lawn chair and look upward. The moon will be in the way in the early part of the night, so the hours before dawn are best.
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