Orionids Meteor Shower

Did you know……

Every year during October, as the Earth orbits about the Sun, it passes through an area of Space containing dust and rock fragments left behind by Halley’s Comet. These particles hit the Earth’s atmosphere and burn up, this produces streaks of light that we should be able to see in the Night Sky. On Occasion, there have been larger particles that have burnt up in the atmosphere, producing very bright “Fireballs” that can sometimes even be seen in daylight. These rock fragments seem to originate from the Orion area and are therefore referred to as Orionids Meteor shower

The meteor shower is expected to make its grand entrance on 16th and will hopefully last until 27th October, with the peak meteor activity expected on 21st October 2009. In recent years, good numbers of meteors have been seen 1-2 days before and after the peak date, so it should be well worth observing over the period 18th-23rd October.

The best time to view the Orionid meteors is after midnight. To find the Orionids, go outside and face east-northeast. The radiant* indicated by a purple dot on the sky, is near two of the sky’s most familiar landmarks: the constellation Orion and Sirius, the brightest star in the sky. At midnight the radiant will be rising in the east.

So come on phuthu punters, lets pray for good weather and a clear night sky and let’s get out there and witness this marvelous spectacle.

Feedback on first-hand accounts would really be special.

*The radiant or apparent radiant of a meteor shower is the point in the sky, from which (to a planetary observer) meteors appear to originate.