Orionid meteor shower will peak in the early morning sky of Tuesday, Oct. 21. Astronomers estimate that stargazers will be able to view the meteor shower on Monday, Oct. 20 night and Tuesday morning as there will be no moon to obstruct.
The Orionid meteor shower, also called as Orionids, has meteors from the Halley's Comet and is so called because it streaks out from the constellation Orion. The number of meteors visible per hour may reach up to 70, but astronomers suggest this year it will be about 20 meteors visible per hour.
The celestial event will occur as the Earth will pass via a stream of debris from Halley's Comet, which will make the meteor shower visible to the earthlings.
The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) also revealed that the absence of moon on Oct. 21 will make it the ideal viewing experience for stargazers.
Bill Cooke, NASA's head of the Meteoroid Environment Office, revealed that the Orionids are not the strongest meteor shower of the year, but is still amongst the most beautiful ones. Cooke also explains that the Orionids are supposed to be the most beautiful because of its setting in the sky.
Constellations like Gemini, Taurus and Orion offers a glittering background for the meteor shower. Sirius, one of the brightest stars in the sky, is just located below Orion's left foot, which makes it easier for stargazers to point their camera if they want to capture some of the meteor showers.
Cooke also suggests that people who want to view the Orionids should plan to go outside about one or two hours just before sunrise. At this time it's still dark and Orion is also visible high. People should lie on a blanket, which will allow for a broad viewing angle of the sky. The Orionid meteor shower is usually visible over a large part of sky. If the sky is clear then there should be no reason why you will not see a few meteors.
"Be prepared for speed," says Cooke. "Meteoroids from Halley's Comet strike Earth's atmosphere traveling 148,000 mph. Only the November Leonids are faster."
The Orionid meteor shower is an annual affair so if you miss it this year then you'll have to wait until next year. However, if you miss the Orionids then you still have the opportunity to see Leonids shower, which will peak on Nov. 17, and the Geminids that will peak in early December.
