Photo: Pozdeyev Vitaly (Shutterstock)
Every year in autumn, our planet passes through a ribbon of space-debris left behind by Halley’s Comet, and Earth’s atmosphere colliding with this trail of ice and dust provides an impressive annual light show called the Orionids meteor shower.
When is the Orionid meteor shower?
The first Orionid shooting stars are already showing up in the sky, and the show will continue through the first week in November or so, but the peak of the meteor shower will happen in the early morning between October 21 and 22. Residents of the Northern Hemisphere who look at the southwestern part of the sky at around 3-4 a.m. can expect to see between 20 or 30 meteors per hour streaking across the sky until sunrise.
It will appear that the meteors are originating somewhere between the Orion constellation (hence the name) and the Gemini constellation, but they should be visible in other parts of the sky too, as long as it’s not too cloudy.
Orionid meteors are fast boys: These bits of ice and burning space dust slam into our atmosphere at 41 miles per second, and when they burn up, they can produce some impressive light streaks and even the occasional fireball.
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This is a good year for the Orionids meteor shower
This year, meteor-viewing conditions are very positive. The moon will be in its waning crescent form, so it won’t be super-bright, allowing us to see more of the space fireworks. A few nights later, on October 25, a new moon will ensure a sky that is as dark as possible and perfect for seeing shooting stars.
How to see the Orionids meteor shower
Meteor viewing is as easy as looking at the sky on a clear night and waiting, but if you want to elevate your experience, here are some tips:
