Meteor Showers 2019: Orionoids and More This October Sky
Learn about the October meteor showers this month and what are the time and place to get their best view!
Get ready for some aerial razzle-dazzle this month, as a bunch of meteor showers is rushing to keep your night vision busy.
According to the American Meteor Society (AMS), the Draconids will be active during the nights of October 8 and 9, with nearly 5-10 meteors per hour. Being originated from the Draco constellation, near the star Kuma, the meteors are known as Draconoids.
Between September 10 and November 20 the Southern Taurids will be remaining active, and peaking during October 10. But both the Draconids and the Taurids are only minor showers compared to the Orionids.
The Orionid meteor shower will be lighting up the sky towards the end of October and its peak night has been marked as on 22nd October, Tuesday.
The Orionids originated as the Halley’s Comet struck the Earth’s atmosphere. These meteoroids are one of the fastest and major showers, with at least 20 per hour. The Halley’s Comet itself was last visible from Earth in 1986.
The Orionid showers could be seen brightest from the North American regions.
On sharing a few tips on watching these shooting stars, Tom Kerss, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich said, “There’s no advantage to using binoculars or a telescope, your eyes are the best tool available for spotting meteors, so relax and gaze up at the sky, and eventually your patience will be rewarded.”
