The April Meteors

Abstract

OF the periodical meteor showers I believe that, from an observational point of view, the April Lyrids may be regarded as one of the least interesting. The display frequently disappoints expectation, and even on the night of April 20, which usually supplies the maximum, the observer often finds his patience taxed in watching a sky which gives not more than seven or eight meteors per hour from all radiants, and not more than one-third of these from the special shower of Lyrids. This is not, however, the invariable experience. Occasionally, as, for example, in 1863 and 1884, the display is a conspicuous one, and rivals other prominent showers, such as the Perseids, Orionids, and Gemmids.