Orionid Meteor Shower Peaks Overnight, page 1

The Orionid meteor shower is expected to put on a good show tonight into the predawn hours Wednesday, weather permitting.

This annual meteor shower is created when Earth passes through trails of comet debris left in space long ago by Halley's Comet. The "shooting stars" develop when bits typically no larger than a pea , and mostly sand-grain-sized, vaporize in Earth's upper atmosphere.

"Flakes of comet dust hitting the atmosphere should give us dozens of meteors per hour," said Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office.

From This article: Get Out: Orionid Meteor Shower Peaks Overnight



From NASA: Nasa.gov

The best time to look is before sunrise on Wednesday, Oct. 21st. That's when Earth encounters the densest part of Halley's debris stream. Observing is easy: Wake up a few hours before dawn, brew some hot chocolate, go outside and look up. No telescope is required to see Orionids shooting across the sky.

I'm going to wake up early for the show! Maybe take my dog on a morning walk, and keep my eyes on the sky!

-E-

[edit on 20-10-2009 by MysterE]

reply to post by x2Strongx
reply to post by hotbakedtater
reply to post by Grover

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Your welcome! Glad to see there are others willing to sacrifice the sleep for one of Mother Natures most beautiful shows!

-E-

[edit on 20-10-2009 by MysterE]

reply to post by MysterE

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I got to watch the clouds roll in @ 0330-0500 CST
Anyways hope someone caught some....ty ME

reply to post by underduck

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I think you just missed the "peak" of the shower. You should be able to see some if your patient!

-E-

reply to post by MysterE

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Patience ... I have. C'mon universe ... show me some of that voodoo that you do so well.

reply to post by zombiemann

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Apologies for my absence. I have been snowed under with work here. Good to see that people are on their toes and there were a couple of posts on the Orionids.

How did you all fare?

I only saw one casually as I glanced out of the window last night.

I should be back soon as the Taurids are gradually cranking up, and the Leonids will be here soon. The Leonids are expected to be in outburst mode this year, and observers in Europe, Africa and the Middle East are likely to get to see the peak which is expected a few hours before midnight UT on the 17th November.

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