The Orionid meteor shower is in town this week, and its visit will peak over the weekend, as trips usually do. If you’re hoping to catch a glimpse of one of the best light shows in the solar system, Jane Houston Jones of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has recommended (via Time) that if stargazers look up from their phones today—October 20—they’ll get quite a show:
The Orionids peak on October 20—a dark, moonless night. Look near Orion’s club in the hours before dawn and you may see up to 10 to 15 meteors per hour.
That is a high hourly rate for meteors. And according to Space.com, these ones will be some of the best (meaning fastest) and brightest out there. This is because Earth is going straight through the orbit of debris produced by Halley’s Comet, which is what creates the Orionids shower in the first place:
The particles come from Comet 1P/Halley, better known as Halley’s Comet. This famous comet swings by Earth every 75 to 76 years, and as the icy comet makes its way around the sun, it leaves behind a trail of comet crumbs.
It’s sort of like we’re being sprinkled by fairy dust, or comet poop. This rain of magic is coinciding with a first-quarter moon, which means visibility is even higher than usual. It’s worth keeping in mind that expert opinions differ on when, exactly, will be peak viewing time; NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke narrowed down the time frame for viewing to 2 a.m. on both the 21st and 22nd, which is a little different than Jones’ estimation. But even if you miss the absolute peak, you’ll be able to see the show any night with good visibility between October 15th and 29th.
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As far as viewing location, the Orionids can also be seen just about anywhere on earth with a visible sky, though you may need to brush up on your astronomy to find them:
If you find the shape of Orion the Hunter, the meteor shower’s radiant (or point of origin) will be near Orion’s sword, slightly north of his left shoulder (the star Betelgeuse). But don’t stare straight at this spot, Cooke said, “because meteors close to the radiant have short trails and are harder to see — so you want to look away from Orion.”
And yes, they should also be visible from the city, but light pollution could be a problem. For best results, start driving out of town at 1:30 a.m. (your eyes need about 20 minutes to adjust to the dark outdoor light), and don’t look back until you see the stars fall from the heavens.
via Lifehacker
Here’s How to See the Orionid Meteor Shower This Weekend