Halley’s comet was last seen in the inner solar system in 1986.
A bright comet may be incoming, but another more famous cosmic snowball has long left its mark on the inner solar system. This week sees the beginning of an annual meteor shower called the Orionids, which is caused by the world’s most famous space rock — Halley’s comet.
Sept. 26 sees the beginning of the Orionids, but with the peak night still some weeks away, there’s still time to plan a trip to dark skies.
The Orionids meteor shower runs from Thursday, Sept. 26 through Friday, Nov. 22 in 2024, with the all-important peak night being overnight on Sunday, Oct. 20 through Monday, Oct. 21. You can see Orionids on any clear night from now through November, but you’ll have the best chance on that peak night.
Check my feed every day this week and next for a daily “comet tracker” with sky-charts and tips for viewing Comet A3.
When Is The Orionids Peak Night?
According to the American Meteor Society, the Orionids are a medium strength shower that sometimes intensify. Though they typically offer about 20 “shooting stars” in an hour close to the peak, in some years they can reach 50-75.
This year, the peak night will have a waning gibbous moon rising before midnight and staying the sky all night. That will make it harder to the Orionids, so it’s best to look for “shooting stars” as soon as it gets dark. If you want to go looking for them before or after the peak night, check a moonrise and moonset calculator (a sunrise and sunset calculator will also come in handy).
The Orionids meteor shower is seen over the Songhua River in Daqing City, Heilongjiang Province, … [+]
How Halley’s Comet Causes The Orionids
Meteors — “shooting stars” — are small pieces of rock or dust that burn up as they strike Earth’s atmosphere. The Orionid meteor shower is caused by dust and debris left in the inner solar system by Comet Halley (1P/Halley), which last swept through the inner solar system in 1986 and is due back in 2061. It’s currently in the constellation Hydra, according to The Sky Live. The actual “shooting stars” will strike Earth’s atmosphere at around 41 miles per second.
Although they are caused by Halley’s Comet, the Orionids get their name from their apparent point of origin — what astronomers call their radiant point. That’s within the constellation of Orion, which is rising in the east around midnight. However, they can appear anywhere in the night sky.
Halley is actually responsible for two annual meteor showers — October’s Orionids and May’s Eta Aquarids.
How To See The Orionids
Here are some tips on seeing meteor showers from NASA:
- Get as far away from urban light pollution as possible (preferably to an International Dark Sky Park).
- Find a location with a clear, unobstructed view of the night sky.
- Dress warmly — it may get very cold.
- Be patient and watch for at least half an hour, preferably on a reclining chair or ground pad.
- Do not try to use a telescope or binoculars — they greatly reduce your chances of seeing “shooting stars.”
- Avoid looking at your cellphone or any other white light — it will instantly destroy your night vision. Use red light only.
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Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.