The nocturnal realm will showcase one of autumn’s superior meteor displays as the week commences, with the Orionids hitting their yearly high point.
The spectacle will intensify Monday night and last into Tuesday’s early hours, potentially featuring up to 20 meteors flashing across the heavens hourly.
While the occasional shooting star may be spotted post-sunset, the show’s highlight will unfold during the latter half of the night.
The climax typically occurs between 2 a.m. and sunrise, local time, as Earth directly confronts the stream of remnants causing the shower.
The Orionids derive their title from the Orion constellation; however, viewers needn’t concentrate on the constellation to observe the phenomenon. Meteors can materialize anywhere in the sky, contingent on favorable weather.
It is anticipated that over half of the U.S. will experience good conditions for observing the Orionids’ peak this year, particularly in the southeastern, central, and western regions.
Cloud cover will pose a concern for skywatchers across New England and much of the Midwest due to a couple of storms circling over those areas. An additional storm advancing from the Pacific could also spread clouds across segments of Washington and Oregon.
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For optimal viewing, specialists advise seeking a dim site away from urban illumination and allowing your eyes at least a 15-minute adjustment period in the dark. Refrain from gazing at any intense lights, like a phone’s screen, and aim for an area with a broad, unobstructed view of the night sky.
Link to Halley’s Comet
Meteor showers transpire when Earth traverses debris clouds abandoned by comets or asteroids. In the Orionids’ instance, these specks of cosmic material originate from Halley’s Comet, the same celestial body responsible for the Eta Aquarid meteor display each May.
Each minuscule fragment ignites brilliantly as it encounters Earth’s atmosphere, producing a fleeting streak of radiance. The majority of these particles are no larger than sand grains, yet they hurtle at remarkable velocities – approximately 41 miles each second.
Following the Orionids’ decline, further meteor occurrences are forthcoming. The Southern Taurids reach their zenith during the night of Nov. 4-5, succeeded by the Northern Taurids on Nov. 11-12 and the Leonids on Nov. 16-17, as reported by the American Meteor Society.
Sourse: www.upi.com
