Orionid Meteor Shower Peaks October 22nd
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This image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows stars near the “sword” in the constellation Orion. Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech
This image from NASA’s Spitzer Space Telescope shows what lies near the sword of the constellation Orion — an active stellar nursery containing thousands of young stars and developing protostars. Many will turn out like our sun. Some are even more massive. These massive stars light up the Orion nebula, which is seen here as the bright region near the center of the image.
While we’re on the topic of Orion, don’t forget the Orionid Meteor Shower peaks tomorrow. Between midnight and dawn tomorrow morning (Oct 22nd), look to the East (in the direction of Orion). Since the Orionids are a fall meteor shower, be sure to dress appropriately.
Speaking of comfort, I always suggest to people who want to watch a meteor shower to grab a comfy lawn chair that can recline – you’ll want to be looking up at as much of the night sky as possible. If at all possible, make sure there are no bright streetlights in your field of view and try to give your eyes up to an hour to fully adapt to the darkness.
Most importantly relax and enjoy the night sky. Don’t allow yourself to get frustrated if you don’t see any meteors right away. This years peak is estimated at about a dozen per hour. Keep in mind that a waning crescent moon will be rising during the optimal time to view the Orionids, but shouldn’t pose a problem for urban viewers.
Image Source: NASA Image of the Day Gallery
Ray Sanders is a Sci-Fi geek, astronomer and blogger. Currently researching variable stars at Arizona State University, he writes for Universe Today, The Planetary Society blog, and his own blog, Dear Astronomer
2012-12-04 08:06:47
Source: http://www.dearastronomer.com/2011/10/21/orionid-meteor-shower-peaks-october-22nd/
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