The Orionid meteor shower is peaking this week. Here’s what to know
By Gina Park, CNN
(CNN) — Sky-gazers worldwide will see a brilliant celestial display this week as the Orionid meteor shower peppers the sky in bright trails of light.
The meteor shower, which is occasionally known to produce fireballs, is set to peak at 8 p.m. ET Monday, according to EarthSky.
The Orionids don’t have a sharp peak, “so if you happen to get clouded out on that night, don’t despair,” said Robert Lunsford, fireball report coordinator for the American Meteor Society. “Head on out the next night, next couple nights even, and you’ll see almost the same activity.”
This year, the Orionids peak at the same time as a new moon, when the dark side of the satellite is facing Earth, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, so the bright meteors won’t be competing with moonlight.
Under clear weather conditions, you can expect to see 10 to 20 meteors per hour.
The Orionids are fast-moving meteors, and “most of them are just a fraction of a second,” Lunsford said. “The brighter ones do produce persistent trains, which are smoke trails after the meteor has disappeared.”
If you’re lucky, you may glimpse more than one meteor shower because the Southern Taurids are also active, expected to peak November 4-5 around the time of a full moon.
The Orionid meteors shoot forth from the Orion constellation, while the Taurids, which are much slower, originate farther west in Taurus “It’s kind of like they’re doing battle,” Lunsford said. “Slow meteors are shooting eastward toward Orion, and fast ones are shooting westward toward Taurus.”
For best viewing, look toward the southern sky and plan to be outside at around 10 p.m. Monday night or 4 to 5 a.m. Tuesday morning in your local time, Lunsford advised.
Where do Orionids come from
The Orionid meteor shower occurs when Earth passes through debris left over from the comet 1P/Halley, according to NASA.
“Halley’s comet actually crosses Earth’s orbit twice,” explained Lunsford. It enters Earth’s orbit in October, producing the Orionids, and exits in early May, causing a shower known as the Eta Aquariid, he added.
Halley’s comet was last seen from Earth in 1986. The comet’s orbital period is around 76 years, so scientists expect it to reappear in our sky in 2061, according to NASA.
Upcoming meteor showers
Here are the peak dates of other meteor showers anticipated this year, according to the American Meteor Society and EarthSky.
- Southern Taurids: November 4-5
- Northern Taurids: November 11-12
- Leonids: November 16-17
- Geminids: December 13-14
- Ursids: December 21-22
Upcoming supermoons
Look out for two more full supermoons moons this year:
- November 5: Beaver moon
- December 4: Cold moon
The-CNN-Wire
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