Sky watchers around the world will be able to see the biggest display of meteor rain before the morning breaks on Oct. 21 and Oct. 22, when the Orionids meteor shower falls on Earth.
The Orionids meteor shower occurs as the Earth moves through the debris left in the orbit of Halley's Comet. This astronomical event got its name from the constellation Orion, where its radiant point comes from.
This annual phenomenal sky occurrence normally happens in late October, and it lasts for about one week.
People living in the northern hemisphere, including those living in North America, northern parts of South America, Asia (except several parts of Indonesia), and some countries in Africa, can observe the meteor shower by looking toward the southeastern sky.
Meanwhile, those in the southern hemisphere, specifically most of the countries in South America, the remaining countries in Africa, Antarctica, Oceania, as well as the remaining parts of Indonesia, can look at the northeastern part of the sky to be able to observe the Orionids meteor shower.
The perfect time to see the Orionids should be from the midnight of Oct. 21 until the hours before dawn, where at least 25 meteors will reach the Earth per hour. But the world can see the occurrence as early as Oct. 20 until Oct. 22.
Based on the report by IT Wire, this is an ideal year to watch the Orionids since the Moon is on its new phase at the time of the meteor shower. It could be less cloudy by then.
Meanwhile, Universe Today reported that the second half of October is considered as the fireball season, wherein the peak of the meteor showers can be observed more easily. It also said that astronomers and meteorologists are already seeing a heightened fireball activity this month with the help of all-sky cameras, including the NASA-supervised observation system located across the U.S.
