These meteors can be seen from October 2 to November 7
One of the most characteristic meteor showers of autumn is the Orionids. The meteors that can be seen at night travel very fast and when they degrade in the Earth’s atmosphere they form the characteristic trails of light. The name of this meteor shower comes from the Orion constellation, since it appears above these stars. It does not mean that the cometary debris comes from the constellation of Orion, but it is a reference point to guide you to see it.
The Orionids are a moderately active meteor shower, with an activity rate of between 15 and 70 meteors per hour and a high speed of 66 kilometers per second. The next major meteor shower will be the Geminids in December, with an activity rate of between 100 and 140 meteors per hour.
When can you see the Orionids?
The Orionids can be seen from October 2 to November 7. The National Geographic Institute (IGN) estimates that the best days to see the Orionids will be between October 21 and 22. The origin of this meteor shower is in the debris left by Halley’s Comet, the same as the Aquarids in May, in its passage every 76 years. The rain occurs because during this time of year, the Earth, in its movement around the Sun, passes through the debris stream left behind by the comet.
This 2022 will be a good year to observe this meteor shower, since its maximum will occur four days before the new moon (October 25). The moon will allow meteor viewing for much of the night, from when the radiant appears over the horizon around midnight until moonrise.
Origin of the Orionids
The Orionid meteors are fragments of Comet 1/P Halley. Halley’s Comet orbits the Sun every 76 years and was last seen from Earth in 1986, according to IGN. At this time, each year, the Earth crosses a ring populated with the fragments detached from Halley’s Comet. When one of these fragments comes into contact with the Earth’s atmosphere, it is calcined by friction with the air and creates this luminous glow known as a meteor or shooting star. Halley’s Comet is also the origin of another meteor shower, the eta Aquarids.
Meteor showers seem to emerge from a single point, the so-called radiant. The Orionids are so named because their radiant is located in the famous constellation of Orion, which begins to be visible around midnight to the east.
How to observe this meteor shower
It is best to observe them from a place away from civilization and light. It is convenient to direct the gaze towards the darkest areas, in the opposite direction to the position of the moon. The most comfortable thing is to lie down and wait for your eyes to get used to the darkness.
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