Halley’s COmet won’t be visible from Earth for another few decades but you can see fragments of it streak across the sky this month in the Orionid meteor shower. The event began earlier this month but will reach its peak on October 21 and 22. Here’s how to view these shooting stars and other upcoming astronomical phenomena.
\n\nThe Orionid meteor shower will be ongoing until November 7, but in the US, the best time for viewing is between dusk on October 21 and dawn on October 22. During this time, you may see up to 20 meteors per hour. That’s in dark skies. The moon will be approximately three-quarters full at this time, which may obscure some of the shooting stars. The best time for viewing is therefore in the early morning between when the moon sets and the sun rises for peak darkness.
\n\nHowever, these particular meteors are known for their brightness as well as their speed, and in some cases especially fast meteors can turn into “fireballs,” becoming as bright as the planet Venus. Dark conditions, however, will be best for viewing some other phenomena associated with this event, such as glowing trains of debris Orionid meteors have…
Original source: https://www.wired.com/