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The Orionid Meteor Shower Peaks Tonight and Tomorrow

October 22, 2019
By WeatherBug Meteorologists
Dropping temperatures and falling leaves are both sure signs of late October, but so are the Orionid meteors, which peak the night of October 21st.
 
This month`s display is typically one of the favorites for autumn star-gazers as it tends to be the most consistent and brightest showers this time of year. A viewer can expect to see around 20 meteors per hour in rural locations, however with the moon just past its last quarter phase, fainter meteors could be washed out this year.
 
Whether you call them falling stars, shooting stars, or by their scientific name, meteors, they all begin the same way - as small particles of debris that burn up in the Earth`s atmosphere and emit a visible light trail. Most meteors range from the size of a grain of sand to the size of a pebble, and streak across the sky to 40 miles per second - that`s about 200 times faster than the speed of sound.
 
The main meteor shower in October is called the Orionids because the meteors will appear to radiate from the constellation of Orion. Orion will be high in the sky after midnight through before sunrise; a perfect setting to stay up late or get up early, lay out a blanket and watch the celestial show. Orion is fairly easy to spot with its most prominent feature being its "belt" of three medium-bright starts in a distinctive row.
 
So what`s causing this annual display? Probably the most well-known comet in the sky - Halley`s Comet. But don`t try to look for the comet... it won`t be visible from Earth again until 2061!

The reason the comet is responsible for this meteor shower is that every October the Earth is crossing the orbit of Halley as it makes its journey around the Sun. As that happens, left-over debris from the comet`s tail enters our atmosphere and burns up as it falls to the ground. This is what we see as meteors.
 
A few things of note:
• With its unusually "speedy" meteors, the Orionid shower tends to produce yellow and green colors at times and has even been known to produce fireballs.
• Lastly, remember that for optimal viewing, you should get as far away from city lights as possible, let your eyes adjust to the darkness for at least a half hour, and just use your naked eyes. Telescopes and binoculars will not help you see them better and will only limit your field of view.

With a little luck, and help from Mother Nature, you will get to see one of the year`s greatest shows on (or above) Earth.
 
Image: Orionid meteor sky chart courtesy of Dr. Tony Phillips, NASA.gov.