One of the best-known and most reliable meteor showers is due to peak later this week as debris left by Halley’s Comet will streak across the night sky.
The Orionid meteor shower, which has been going on all month, peaks for several hours from midnight on Wednesday 22 October, offering you the best chance of seeing the spectacle for yourself.
What could I see?
As it peaks, the annual shower presents a dramatic light show, producing up to 20 meteors every hour until the early morning.
But even if you miss the main show, the phenomenon is expected to be visible for several days on either side.
What is it?
The Orionid Meteor Shower is a result of the Earth passing through debris of Halley’s Comet.
Halley’s Comet intersects with Earth’s path twice every year due to the respective elliptical orbits around the sun.
Each time Halley returns to the inner solar system, its nucleus sheds ice and rocky dust into space.
When they enter Earth’s atmosphere, these dust grains become the Orionids in October, as well as the Eta Aquariid meteor shower in May.
Observer of the Orionid shower catches a shot in 2017. Pic: Reuters
The phenomenon gets its name from the Orion constellation, one of the brightest groups of stars in the sky.
The meteoroids can travel at high speeds of 148,000mph through the Earth’s atmosphere. Here, the debris vaporises from friction with the air, which causes the streaks of light we call meteors.
While the comet itself only swings close enough to Earth to be seen once every 75 to 76 years, this annual shower provides some compensation for those who miss that rare event.
Clouds obstruct the view of the Orionid meteor shower. Pic: AP
How can I see it?
The good news is that you can leave your high-powered telescope at home, because the meteor shower is visible to the naked eye in all parts of the sky.
All you need, according to experts, is a bit of patience, a clear sky and a safe spot away from street lights and other light pollution.
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An astronomer observes the night sky for Orionid meteors. Pic: AP
Experts advise that you get yourself in a position to spot the shower around 30 minutes before you hope to see it, giving your eyes plenty of time to adjust to the darkness before the best viewing time between midnight and dawn.
When observing, NASA suggests lying 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 taking in as much of the sky as possible.
What is different about this year?
This year there will be a new moon on 21 October, which is great news as it means the skies will be nice and dark to spot the best of the Orionids.
A new moon will be in the skies when the meteor shower peaks. File pic: iStock
Even for those in city centres, some of the more spectacular meteors will be possible to see, London’s Natural History Museum says.
This differs from last year, when the amount of natural light from the moon hindered visibility.
