William Atkins
Tuesday, 21 October 2008 20:54
Science -
Space
Page 1 of 3
You don’t need an umbrella for this shower. The Orionid meteor shower is scheduled to peak around October 21, 2008 for sky observers in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres.
The Orionids are an annual meteor shower that will be visible in the mid-northern and mid-southern latitudes during the early mornings in and around October 21, 2008.
The radiant (from which the meteors appear to be originating) will occur between the constellation Orion and the constellation Gemini in the southeastern sky before dawn.
The best time to view the Orionid meteors is between midnight and before dawn.
Halley’s Comet is the cause of the Orionid Meteor Shower.
Named after American astronomer Edmund Halley, Halley’s Comet last appeared over the skies of the Earth in 1986. It has a 75-to-76 year period around the Sun.
The meteors within the Orionids are actually expelled dust and particles from Halley’s Comet. When Halley’s Comet gets close to the Sun, the heat from the Earth’s star evaporates some of the comet’s nucleus.
Some of its particles are expelled from the heating action. Most of these particles are no bigger than a grain of sand.
But, watch out for these tiny particles. They make a big hit when interacting with Earth. Read page two for more.
