Amazing Orionids Meteor Shower Peaks Over Maine Next Week
Take the time to walk outdoors some night soon and watch the show.
Hey, if you're into celestial events, and who isn't, you may get an eyeful as the Orionids meteor shower is set to peak the night of Thursday, October 21. If we're lucky enough to have clear skies a few nights next week there's a chance that we may be able to see up to 20 meteors per hour streak by every hour. Some past years have seen 50 to 70 meteors per hour go shooting across the darkness.
The space rocks that are actually remanents of Haley's Comet weigh an average of 3.5 to 18 ounces each and are normally at an altitude of 50 to 60 miles. They typically will not reach the earth's surface, burning up as they make their way through the atmosphere above.
There's already been a lot going on this month as the Orionids meteor shower actually began on the 2nd of October and will continue until about November 7th this year, so if you've seen a few shooting stars already they were probably an offshoot of Haley's Comet.
The actual peak of the Orionids meteor shower in our neck of the woods will happen early this coming Thursday morning, between 12:23 and 6:03. Unfortunately, the night the shower peaks we'll have a full moon going on at the same time. But, you never know, the full moon may actually add to the experience.
But as you know we're pretty fortunate here in Maine that we don't experience a whole lot of "light pollution", where the lights from the city make viewing things like shooting stars or meteors almost impossible.
So, make sure you seize the opportunity this coming week, and most importantly, don't forget to wish upon a falling star, or two.