What to expect from the Orionids
The Orionid meteor shower, one of the more striking autumn displays in the night sky, reaches its peak this week. According to CNN, the shower is predicted to peak at 2 p.m. ET on Wednesday, which means the best viewing will come during the overnight hours between Wednesday and Thursday.
Unlike the recent Draconid meteor shower, which suited early sleepers, the Orionids favor those willing to stay up late or wake in the dark hours before dawn. Sky-gazers in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres should begin to see meteors after midnight local time, according to EarthSky, as cited by CNN.
Other outlets have also pointed to the early hours of Oct. 22 as the time to look, with local forecasts and cloud cover outlooks being published for various regions.
How the moon complicates viewing
This year's show may look dimmer than usual because of moonlight. The full moon arrives on October 26, and on Wednesday night the waxing gibbous moon will be 76% illuminated, according to the American Meteor Society. That brightness could make it harder to spot meteors during parts of the viewing period.
There is a window of relief, though. The moon is expected to set a few hours before sunrise, leaving darker skies in the pre-dawn period. During that stretch, observers could see up to 20 meteors per hour, according to the report.
Fast meteors from a famous comet
The Orionids occur each year as Earth moves through the debris trail left by Halley's comet. The comet completes one orbit around the sun about every 76 years, shedding dust and debris along the way. Earth crosses that trail every October, and again each May, when the Eta Aquariid meteor shower occurs.
Halley's comet travels in a retrograde orbit, meaning it moves around the sun in the opposite direction from Earth. Orionid meteors are known for their speed, streaking through the atmosphere at 41 miles per second (66 kilometers per second), according to NASA.
NASA also notes that some of the glowing particles leave trains that can stay visible for seconds to minutes, while larger fragments can produce especially bright fireballs as they break up. The meteors seem to radiate from the direction of the constellation Orion, which gives the shower its name, but they can appear anywhere in the sky.
Tips for watching
To improve the odds of seeing meteors, CNN advises avoiding areas with heavy light pollution, such as cities with streetlights. A reclining lawn chair, or simply lying on your back, offers a wider view of the sky.
More meteor showers are on the calendar as the year winds down. CNN pointed readers to the American Meteor Society for the peak dates.
