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Orionid meteorites blazing through Earth’s atmosphere this month will bring “prolonged bursts of light,” NASA said.
Commonly known as ‘shooting stars’, the screen produced by the Orionid meteor shower could be one of the most spectacular in years, with meteors traveling at 66 kilometers (41 miles) per second.
The peak of the meteor shower is expected to occur on October 21, however, the Orionid meteor shower will be active from October 2 to November 7 and several other days are also expected within this five week period. give good results.
The International Meteor Organization said the strength of the rain has varied from year to year and that 2020 could see an unusually large peak.
The Orionids emanate from an area of the sky north of the constellation Orion, best seen just before sunrise.
At its peak on October 21, NASA said it was expecting about 20 meteors per hour, or one every three minutes.
Orionid meteors occur every October when Earth breaks through debris on the tail of Halley’s Comet.
The glowing trains left by meteors can last from several seconds to minutes.
“Fast meteorites can sometimes turn into fireballs too – look for prolonged bursts of light when viewing the Orionid meteor shower,” NASA wrote in a blog post.
“The best time to search for these meteors would be after midnight, but before the sky begins to clear with dawn. Ideal conditions would be clear skies without haze or clouds, an unobstructed view of a large part of the sky after midnight, and a location away from any urban light or light pollution. “
The US space agency also advised sky watchers to allow up to 45 minutes for their eyes to fully adjust to night vision and not to check smartphones or look at other light sources while their eyes are adjusting.
