Considered to be “one of the most beautiful meteor showers” of the year by NASA, the Orionids are set to peak tonight.
“I would rank the Orionids in the top five meteor showers of the year,” AccuWeather Astronomy Blogger Dave Samuhel said. ”It will be the strongest shower since the Perseids of August.”
“Sparked by Halley’s Comet, the Orionids provide 20 to 25 meteors per hour on the peak night,” Samuhel said.
Onlookers may spot shooting stars streaking across the sky beginning late Monday evening, but they will come in much greater numbers later in the night.
“This shower will be best viewed after midnight,” Samuhel said. “If you can spot Orion, then get ready for some meteors.”
The Orionid meteor shower is viewable in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres during the hours after midnight. Onlookers should find a rural area away from city lights to best see the colorful streaks in the sky.
“Lie flat on your back with your feet facing southeast if you are in the Northern Hemisphere or northeast if you are in the Southern Hemisphere, and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible,” NASA states on its website. “In less than 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors. Be patient — the show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to catch a glimpse.”
The meteor shower is sparked by Halley’s comet, one of the most famous comets that orbits the sun about every 76 years, NASA says.
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PHOTO: A meteor glowing near the Milky Way. (Image/ScienceAtNASA)
