Orionids meteor shower TONIGHT: When and how to watch
THE Orionids meteor showers are one of the most spectacular astral shows of the year. But your location and the time you start to stargaze are critical. Here is the important information on when and how to watch the meteor shower. When is the Orionid meteor shower? This year, Orionid meteors appear from Monday, October 2, […]
THE Orionids meteor showers are one of the most spectacular astral shows of the year.
But your location and the time you start to stargaze are critical. Here is the important information on when and how to watch the meteor shower.
When is the Orionid meteor shower?
This year, Orionid meteors appear from Monday, October 2, through November 7, peaking between midnight and dawn on October 21 and 22.
The scientific phenomenon gets its name from the Orion, a constellation which lies in the sky above the equator.
The meteors, associated with Halley’s Comet, occur every year in October.
When the conditions of the night are right, dozens of shooting stars can be seen falling from the sky.
How to watch the Orionid meteor shower
Eagle-eyed space geeks can observe the shower with the naked eye, without the need for a telescope.
With all meteor showers however, clear skies is key.
Therefore people are advised to check with the Met Office for the latest weather reports and find out the best times.
It may be difficult to catch a glimpse of the fragments, as they usually fall fast and appear quite faint in the sky.
Occasionally, a particularly bright meteor may fall, which could potentially be visible even on a moonlit night.
The darker the location you visit, the brighter the meteors will appear in the sky.
It’s advisable to take a trip out of your city to find somewhere more remote.
This will prevent the experience from being ruined by artificial lights.
With meteor showers you must be prepared to wait, so star gazers are advised to bring something to sit or lie down on.
Happy stargazing.
What is the Orionid meteor shower?
Nasa dubs the Orionid meteor shower as “one of the most beautiful meteor showers of the year”.
Each hour about 20 meteors zoom through the skies, at speeds 148,000 mph, the Orionids are one of the most impressive events in the sky’s calendar.
It happens 60 miles up in space, when the Earth moves through a cloud of thousands and thousands of space rocks which would be left behind by the famous Halley’s Comet.
Why is it called the Orionid meteor shower?
Looking to the sky from Earth, the meteors appear to come from the direction of the Orion constellation, which is how they got their name.
Orion is one of the brightest and best-known constellations, containing two of the 10 brightest stars in the sky Rigel and Betelgeuse.
It has been known since ancient times and is also referred to as Hunter in Greek mythology.
LATEST SPACE NEWS
How many meteors will there be?
The word “shower” suggests many meteors will fall frequently, almost resembling rain.
Despite this, the actual rate that the celestial matter falls from the sky is a lot less regular.
With the Orionids, about 10 to 20 meteors fall from the sky per hour.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online news team? Email us at tips@the-sun.co.uk or call 0207 782 4368 . You can WhatsApp us on 07810 791 502. We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.