Heads up (literally) between the 17th and 25th of October for the Orionid Meteor Shower. Peak will be the night of the 20th to the morning of the 21st. Orionids exhibit a maximum of about 10 to 20 meteors per hour. These fast-moving meteors occasionally leave persistent trains. They sometimes produce bright fireballs, so you might see a few Orionids even in moon-drenched skies. If you trace these meteors backward, they seem to come from the Club of the famous constellation Orion the Hunter. You might know Orion’s bright, ruddy star Betelgeuse. The radiant is north of Betelgeuse. The Orionids have a broad and irregular peak that isn’t easy to predict. More meteors tend to fly after midnight, and the Orionids are typically at their best in the wee hours before dawn. This year, 2013, is not optimal for watching the Orionid meteor shower because a bright waning gibbous moon will be in the sky during the peak hours between midnight and dawn. But you might see some meteors even in bright moonlight. The best viewing for the Orionids in 2013 will probably be before dawn on October 21. Try the days before and after that, too, sticking to the midnight-to-dawn hours. You’ll be watching for those brightest Orionids that can overcome the moon’s glare. earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-orionid-meteor-shower
Posted on: Thu, 17 Oct 2013 06:16:24 +0000
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