Clear skies and a dark night without the moon present a perfect opportunity for people in the UK to witness the impressive Orionid meteor shower lighting up the sky post-midnight.
This annual event, occurring approximately 60 miles above Earth for about a week in late October, will peak in the early hours of Wednesday, October 22. The swift meteors will dash across the sky at speeds reaching about 41 miles per second.
Known as the Orionids, these meteor showers are remnants of debris left behind by Halley’s Comet as it moves along its orbit around the Sun. Halley’s Comet makes an appearance from Earth roughly every 75 to 76 years, with its next anticipated return in 2061.
Comets, as they orbit the Sun, leave behind trails of debris that the Earth passes through. These tiny particles burn up in our atmosphere, creating luminous streaks of light known as “shooting stars,” despite not being actual stars.
Of the approximately 30 meteor showers visible each year, the Orionids are among the most radiant and easily observed.
Meteor showers are named after the constellation from which they seem to radiate, rather than the comet from which they derive. In this case, the radiant point is situated in the Orion the Hunter constellation.
During the peak of the Orionids in the early hours of Wednesday, skywatchers might witness around 15 meteors per hour, hurtling at speeds of up to 148,000mph.
Fortunately, telescopes or binoculars are unnecessary for watching meteor showers. The naked eye is the best tool for observation, as specialized equipment is more suited for stationary objects.
The Orionids can be seen from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres between midnight and dawn.
To optimize viewing, find a dark location away from urban lights with an unobstructed view of the sky. Lie flat on your back with your feet pointing southeast, as advised by NASA for Northern Hemisphere observers.
After approximately 30 minutes, your eyes will adjust, and you’ll start spotting meteors streaking through the night sky.
The primary impediments to meteor viewing are clouds and light pollution, according to the American Meteor Society.
Despite unsettled weather in the UK this week, Tuesday evening is expected to clear, providing ample clear skies across the country due to the absence of moonlight from the new Moon, enhancing viewing conditions.
Following the peak, meteor activity will gradually diminish, though those in Scotland may still have a chance to witness a good display on Wednesday night. Elsewhere in the UK, cloud cover and rain moving northward may hinder visibility.
By the week’s end, clearer conditions are forecasted to return, improving night-sky observation. The Orionids will remain active until November 7.
Although Halley’s Comet, the origin of the Orionid meteor shower, won’t be visible until 2061, other comets could be observed this week.
The Orion constellation, prominent in the Northern Hemisphere, ascends in the east post-midnight, just north of the red star Betelgeuse. Look for a line of three bright stars nearby, known as Orion’s Belt, as indicated by BBC Sky at Night Magazine.
Observers in the Northern Hemisphere might also catch sight of Comet Lemmon or Comet SWAN, both reaching their closest approach to Earth on Tuesday. Comet SWAN completes an orbit around the Sun every 22,554 years, while Lemmon orbits roughly every 1,350 years.