Orionid meteor shower to peak this weekend

Washington: This year the Orionid meteor shower can be best viewed in the several hours around midnight October 20 and before dawn on October 21, it has been revealed.

At its late-night peak, this year’s shower is expected to produce around 25 meteors per hour, according to the editors of StarDate magazine. The first-quarter Moon will set around midnight, so its light will not interfere with the celestial show, they said. Orionid meteors appear to fall from above the star Betelgeuse, the bright orange star marking the shoulder of the constellation Orion. They are not associated with this star or constellation, but instead are leftover debris from Halley’s Comet. The Orionid meteors recur each year when Earth passes through the comet’s debris trail. To get the best view, people are advised to get away from city lights and look for state or city parks or other safe, dark sites. People are also told to lie on a blanket or reclining chair to get a full-sky view. StarDate magazine is published bi-monthly by The University of Texas at Austin. ANI