Meteors will soon start streaking through the sky thanks to the Orionid Meteor Shower. In two days, the night of October 21/22 will mark the peak of the Orionids for 2010. However, despite what most of the news media may lead you to believe, there is a lot more to the Orionid shower than the night of the peak. While most news outlets only focus on the peak night, the fact is that the Orionds are already blazing trails through the sky.
Unlike what may have been suggested by most non-astronomical news sources, the Orionid shower lasts for about two weeks, a week on either side of the peak night. Why? The shower is caused by Earth running into a trail of space debris from Halley's Comet every year. Think of it as a rainstorm. When driving into a rain shower, the rain does not come and go in a sudden burst. Likewise, the trail of cometary debris is the same way in that it starts very light, gets thicker until the deepest point is reached, and then starts lightening up again until the Earth passes completely through. The shower is called the Orionid because the meteors seem to radiate from the constellation Orion, specifically, a region just above bright red Betelgeuse, which constitutes Orion's right shoulder..
Every October, Earth passes through the stretch of space junk, reaching the deepest concentration, at least this year, on the night of October 21/22. According to some estimates, under ideal conditions (dark country skies), one can expect to see 25 meteors per hour. The best time to view is in the pre-dawn hours as Orion is at its highest at this time, just about due South. To improve odds of seeing meteors, travel out of light-polluted Cleveland and to the suburbs or, even better, the country if you can. In the suburbs, just going from the front to back yard can make a dramatic difference, too.
Unfortunately, the Moon is going to be just about full at the time of the Orionids, which is a real bummer. For some good news, even the Moon can't outshine the brightest Orionids.
Now for viewing. The Cleveland area weather forecast is looking so-so for the next few nights. So, for an even more up-to date, hour-by-hour forecast, check out the Cleveland Clear Sky Clock to see what the night will bring. Live somewhere else? Find a clock near you.
Good luck and clear skies to all.
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NASA mission to Comet Hartley
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