The Orionid meteor shower is present during the month of October and always makes things interesting. If you like seeing shooting stars, this meteor shower should be capable of putting on quite the show.
While it’s not the biggest meteor shower of the year, it is one that produces a decent number of meteors in comparison to some. Peak for this shower will be on the night of October 20th-22nd. You will likely be getting the best chance to view during the earlier morning hours. While it might not bring hundreds of meteors forth, you should expect anywhere from 10-20 per hour depending on how things play out.
This meteor shower stems from debris that comes from Halley’s Comet and the moon won’t be interfering, according to Space.com because it will be in a crescent moon phase which means it will be roughly 23 percent full. That having been said, there have been years where more shooting stars per hour were noticed. With this kind of thing, we never truly know what we’re going to get until it is present. You won’t need any kind of fancy equipment for this shower to view but you should perhaps according to EarthSky.com give your eyes a little time to adjust to the darkness.
Time and Date wrote as follows on their website on how to view this shower itself:
Find a secluded viewing spot, away from the city lights. Once at the venue, your eyes may take 15 to 20 minutes to get used to the dark.
Dress for the weather, and make sure you are comfortable, especially if you plan to stay out long. Bring a blanket or a comfortable chair with you—meteor watching can be a waiting game.
Once you have found your viewing spot, lie down on the ground and look up in the direction of the radiant.
The radiant point for this specific shower will be in the northern part of Orion, near Orion’s Club. I for one love watching meteor showers myself and making wishes on shooting stars is something I’ve always done ever since I was young. You should be able to see shooting stars during this shower no matter where you are on the planet and well, it’s something worth checking out.
To learn more about the Orionid meteor shower take a look at the video below. What do you think about shooting stars? How many wishes will you be making this month?