The night sky will be spectacular on Tuesday, Oct. 21, and Wednesday, Oct. 22, as the Orionid meteor shower dances in the sky. This natural phenomenon is a sight to behold so one might want to save the time and date to watch it, whether they regularly stargaze or not.
The Orionid meteor shower will be visible in the Northern and Southern hemisphere. According to iTWire, people can see 25 meteors per hour during the event. The same publication also said that the best time to watch the sky is at dawn or before sunrise on Oct. 21. On Monday, Oct. 20, the Orionid meteor shower can already be seen before sunrise, but it won't be that clear compared to its peak times which will be Tuesday and Wednesday.
What is this phenomenon anyway? NASA says, "Every year in mid-to-late October, Earth passes through a stream of dusty debris from Comet Halley, and the pre-dawn sky can light up with a pretty display of shooting stars."
The Orionid meteor shower's radiant is at Orion, meaning it looks as though the light display is coming from that constellation, thus the name.
According to Universe Today, the Orionids isn't the only space phenomenon to watch out for in October. They call October as the "fireball season of sky display," in which there are various meteor showers that happen. Some may not be as big, but NASA has already seen them through their sky cameras.
For those who want to watch the Orionids, NASA suggests being observant when watching the sky as the meteors go in different directions.
A live broadcast of the Orionid meteor shower will also be available via Ustream beginning October 20, at 10 p.m. EDT. (see video below)
In related news, there will be a partial solar eclipse to take place just after the Orionids. The solar eclipse will happen on Thursday, Oct. 23, at 12:37 p.m. and will reach its peak at 2:45 p.m. before saying goodbye at 4:51 p.m.
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