The Orionids Meteor Shower has already started to produce activity in the morning skies around the northern hemisphere. It started October 2nd and will be active until early November. The Orionids has a few days before and after the peak that are more active than other days. This is a unique feature called a “submaxima”. Viewers can anticipate the strongest activity to take place in the morning of October 21st, but the period of days that lead up to the peak and after the peak called “submaxima activity” means that strong outbursts may occur between October 18th and October 24th at any time. So why not have a look as soon as you can? Meteor shower outbursts are nearly impossible to predict.

Orionids Meteor Shower Radiant

As mentioned earlier, Orionids enter the Earth’s atmosphere at 90,000+ miles per hour which compared to other meteor showers is consider medium speeds. The Orionids seem to originate from the constellation Orion near the red/orange star named Betelgeuse. This year, the Moon will create a medium amount of light pollution because it will be coming off a last quarter phase. Not only is the Moon a factor, but also man-made sources of light can make it difficult to view this event. Under perfect low-light conditions, viewers may see up to one meteor every three minutes. However, based on the circumstances I’ve discussed, I don’t think this will be the case this year. I do believe the meteor shower is worth observing and viewing for at least thirty minutes to an hour in mornings before and after the peak, October 21st.

To best view this meteor shower, one must go to a safe dark place in the morning and look toward the constellation Orion. The meteors can and will streak anywhere in the sky but will seem to originate from Orion. Orion, the meteor shower’s radiant is where they get their name from. Almost all meteor showers are named after their constellation or radiant, which is the point in the sky where they seem to originate. In May, Halley’s Comet is also responsible for another meteor shower called the Eta-Aquariids where the dust hits Earth at a different angle and the point of entry seems to come from the constellation Aquarius, hence we get the Eta-Aquariids.

The reason why I get so excited about this meteor shower is because it is the first of three meteor showers that are worth looking at before the end of the year. It is also nice to go outside and enjoy clear cool nights watching the stars after a lull in meteor shower activity since early August. The next meteor showers of interest are the Leonids in November and the Geminids of December.

As always, if you’ve enjoyed my writing and the information that I provide on this site, please use the “A Coffee for Meteor Mark” section. Believe me, I really need the coffee to keep me up in the morning whilst observing meteor showers. Please join our mailing list, bookmark the site and keep your head up.

- Meteor Mark

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So now that you have the information, I’m sure you’re wondering when and where do I look? If you live in the Americas unfortunately you’re not going to see many meteors because the proposed peak will be during the daytime for you. But this doesn’t mean you should just give up. I suggest three viewing sessions for USA residents and they are: October 8th between 12:01am and dawn, the darkest point of early evening say around 6:00pm onward to midnight and then final October 9th from 12:01am until dawn.

Draconids Meteor Shower Radiant

Now if you live in Europe, the best proposed activity will be on October 8th between 17:00 GMT and 20:00 GMT. You can also follow the above times that I suggested for the Americas. This meteor shower has the chance to be truly amazing. I have to warn you, the moon will be very bright and usually this means it will be hard to see these meteors especially because they are relatively faint and small.

If you would like to learn a little more about the Draconids, please take a look at the blog I did in 2009 (Draconids Information).  It contains more information about meteor storm activity and the source and cause of the Draconids Meteor Shower.  If you’re planning on going outside and having a look, keep warm, have fun and keep your head up!

- Meteor Mark

The post Draconids – A Meteor Shower or Storm? appeared first on Meteor Showers.

2010 Moon Phase is a Negative

The Orionids Meteor Shower has been occurring each year consistently in October. Every year the dust particles and debris of Halley’s Comet (IP/Halley) enter the Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of 90,000+ miles per hour. Even though Halley’s Comet is in orbit around the Sun and was closest to Earth in 1986 on its 75-76 year orbit the remnants still remain in its path. The Earth crosses through this dusty path each year and this trail of debris consistently produces the Orionids Meteor Shower.

Orionids Meteor Shower Radiant

The Orionids Meteor Shower has already started to produce activity in the morning skies around the northern hemisphere. It started October 2nd and will be active until early November. The Orionids has a few days before and after the peak that are more active than other days.  This is a unique feature called a “submaxima”. Viewers can anticipate the strongest activity to take place in the morning of October 21st, but the period of days that lead up to the peak and after the peak called “submaxima activity” means that strong outbursts may occur between October 18th and October 24th at any time.  So why not have a look as soon as you can?  Meteor shower outbursts are nearly impossible to predict.

As mentioned earlier, Orionids enter the Earth’s atmosphere at 90,000+ miles per hour which compared to other meteor showers is consider medium speeds. The Orionids seem to originate from the constellation Orion near the red/orange star named Betelgeuse. This year, the Moon will create a lot of extra light pollution because it will be almost full. Not only is the Moon a factor, but also man-made sources of light can make it difficult to view this event. Under perfect low-light conditions, viewers may see up to one meteor every two minutes. However, based on the circumstances I’ve discussed, I don’t think this will be the case this year.  I do believe the meteor shower is worth observing and viewing for at least thirty minutes to an hour in mornings before and after the peak, October 21st.

To best view this meteor shower, one must go to a safe dark place in the morning and look toward the constellation Orion. The meteors can and will streak anywhere in the sky but will seem to originate from Orion. Orion, the meteor shower’s radiant is where they get their name from. Almost all meteor showers are named after their constellation or radiant, which is the point in the sky where they seem to originate. In May, Halley’s Comet is also responsible for another meteor shower called the Eta-Aquariids where the dust hits Earth at a different angle and the point of entry seems to come from the constellation Aquarius, hence we get the Eta-Aquariids.

The reason why I get so excited about this meteor shower is because it is the first of three meteor showers that are worth looking at before the end of the year. It is also nice to go outside and enjoy clear cool nights watching the stars after a lull in meteor shower activity since early August. The next meteor showers of interest are the Leonids in November and the Geminids of December.

As always, if you’ve enjoyed my writing and the information that I provide on this site, please use the “A Coffee for Meteor Mark” section.  Believe me, I really need the coffee to keep me up in the morning whilst observing meteor showers. Please join our mailing list, bookmark the site and keep your head up.

- Meteor Mark

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Draco the Dragon

The Draconids Meteor Shower of October is one of my favorite meteor showers of the year. The main reason and possibly a little comical I’m sure, is that I really like the name, Draconids; I suppose it might remind me of being a kid. I think most kids like dragons so the natural progression as an adult is to like the constellation Draco the Dragon, which I feel is far more mature. Okay, so now for some more serious reasons as to why I find this meteor shower so appealing; because when you spot one in the sky they seem to be a foggy, muddy, muggy yellow color. Draconid meteors lumber slowly across the sky. The meteor shower itself has an awesome history and even two names.

The Draconids despite being a minor meteor shower in recent years occasionally has some breathtaking outbursts. I don’t like to promise too much when it comes to viewing any meteor shower, but in 1933 the Draconids were amazing. They were responsible for one of the most prolific meteor storms in history where about 6,000 meteors per hour were seen for a period of about nine hours. I can promise that this year will not produce those kinds of results, however the shower’s peak will be occurring on October 8th under a waxing crescent moon phase and only 1% of the Moon will be illuminated. This means less light will be in the sky and that means we’ll have a chance to see more meteors.

Where can you look to see Draconids? The answer is anywhere really, but you’ll have a better chance if you locate the meteor shower’s radiant, which is Draco. Meteor gazers in the northern hemisphere can use the illustration below to locate Draco by using the Big Dipper as a point of reference.

Where Does One Look? Draconids Meteor Shower

The constellation Draco is where Draconids meteors will seem to come from. Meteor Showers are usually named after their radiant, hence we get Draconids, nevertheless some scientists call the Draconids “Giacobinids” which is derived from the name of the astronomer who discovered the comet in charge of creating the dust trails and meteoroids that enter our atmosphere each year at this time to make this event happen. The comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner was discovered in 1900 by Giacobini and then later was observed by Ernst Zinner in 1913. Both their research and mathematical calculations helped determine that this comet was the source of the Draconids.

The Draconids will start on October 6th and will continue until October 10th with the peak date (or maxima) on October 8th. Meteor shower viewers shouldn’t expect much from this event, but you never know when it comes to shooting stars, they’re really hard to predict. Because the phase of the Moon will not produce a lot of extra light and the possibility of outbursts for any meteor shower, one should look after midnight on Friday morning October 8th, not Friday night or Saturday morning.

Here is the 2010 October Meteor Shower Schedule

I’ve added the Southern and Northern Taurids to the schedule because they are considered a constant stream of meteors during September, October and November. The Taurids are thought to account for a major part of the sporadic meteors that we witness. I will be blogging about the Taurids Meteor Shower later in the month, as they are known for cool pumpkin-colored slow moving fireballs.

Keep your head up.

- Meteor Mark

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Taurids - Halloween Fireballs

October is always an exciting time of year for meteor shower gazing because it is the start of what I consider the best few months of meteor showers. I would like to introduce the last of October’s meteor showers, the Halloween Fireballs. The Halloween Fireballs are the result of the Southern and Northern Taurids meteor shower which began September 25th. The Taurids are notorious for producing slow moving orange fireballs. These meteor showers are the dust particles that follow the Comet Encke. You will be able to see a few meteors from this shower in the morning of Hallowen, but the best viewing date for the Southern Taurids will be November 5th and for the Northern Taurids November 12th. As you know, orange is a color associated with Halloween and the Taurids are commonly seen lumbering across the sky in pale ginger and orange colors, hence giving them their name. Even though the Southern and Northern Taurids peak in November they won’t be producing huge outbursts or activity, the real activity will be reserved for the Leonids.

The Southern Taurids, Northern Taurids, Leonids, and the α-Monocerotids are all active Meteor Showers in November. I will be posting a lot more information about the Leonids. The Leonids are scheduled to peak the middle of November so please bookmark the site or join the mailing list and I will inform you about the next post regarding November’s best meteor shower, the Leonids.

I make no guarantees that you will see any Halloween Fireballs but hopefully a spooky meteor will creep across your line of sight. Don’t be afraid of the dark and keep your head up.

The post Halloween Fireballs – November Meteor Shower May Dazzle appeared first on Meteor Showers.

Click the Image for Starry Night Software

The Orionids Meteor Shower is caused by the dust particles of Halley’s Comet (IP/Halley). Halley’s Comet last visited us in 1986 and has a 75-76 year orbit. The trail of debris that follows this comet consistently produces the Orionids Meteor Shower each October. Halley’s Comet is also accountable for an additional meteor shower in May called the Eta Aquarids. The Orionids Meteor Shower started October 2 and will be active until November 7. Viewers can expect the strongest activity to take place in the morning of October 21. An interesting fact about the Orionids is that they have been known to exhibit what is called “submaxima” activity which means that strong outbursts may occur anytime between October 18-24. Meteors are the occurrence of light created from meteoroids entering the Earth’s atmosphere at 90,000+ mph.  Orionids seem to originate from the constellation Orion near the red/orange star named Betelgeuse. Light pollution from the moon and man-made sources of light are always a factor for meteor shower viewing, however this year the Moon will be a waxing crescent with only 13% of the Moon’s visible disk illuminated which means good news for meteor enthusiasts.

Where to Look

To view this shower one must go to a safe dark place in the morning and look toward the constellation Orion. Orionids get their name from the meteor shower’s radiant which is located near Orion, the Hunter. Readers can view more meteor definitions and terms by visiting our meteor glossary located in the top right corner of this site. If you need help finding Orion, I suggest taking a look at some of the awesome products that can be found at the Starry Night Store – (ENTER HERE). Most of the cool stuff there will come in handy for viewing meteor showers later in the year.

I’m looking forward to this event because it marks the start of more major meteor activity in the last part of the year. The Orionids is considered a major meteor shower and could produce 25 to 35 visible meteors per hour. Please note that meteor showers are best seen in the morning before dawn so one should be observing Wednesday morning October 21 to have the best chance to see the most meteors not Wednesday Night.

Please join our mailing list, bookmark the site and keep your head up.

- Meteor Mark

The post Peak of the Week – The Orionids Meteor Shower appeared first on Meteor Showers.

Astronomy Software

The ε-Geminids meteor shower is not to be confused with Geminids that will be highlighted later this year. This meteor shower, the ε-Geminids, occurs in conjunction with Orionids Meteor Shower. The ε-Geminids are scheduled to peak in the morning hours of October 18th and started their activity on October 14th. The ε-Geminids are considered a minor meteor shower since they do not produce a lot of meteors; therefore I’m not sure it will be visible at all this year because of the brightness of the moon. There is some evidence that this meteor shower does follow a 12-year cycle which means it could be stronger than usual this year, but when it comes to meteor showers there are never any guarantees. The radiant is the constellation Gemini which lies above Orion’s club. You may notice the planet Mars in the sky as well. It is also a good time to locate the constellation Orion because later this month the Orionids Meteor Shower peaks. The Orionids are best known for being remnants of the famous Halley’s Comet! I’ll be observing both showers, but I think this shower is not active enough for beginner meteor enthusiasts.

Bookmark this site, join the mailing list and keep your head up, there is some major meteor shower activity coming soon.

- Meteor Mark

The post Minor Meteor Shower Compliments the Orionids appeared first on Meteor Showers.

Draconids Meteor Shower

In 1933 The Draconids Meteor Shower produced a meteor swarm where more than 54,000 meteors were seen streaking across the sky at a rate of about 6000 per hour! The view must have been incredible. This meteor shower’s source of meteoroids is from the comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner. Draconids are also known for their faint yellow color and usually lumber across the sky at slower speeds relative to other meteors, they still move really fast so keep your eyes on the sky and don’t expect huge outburst like those of the past. 

The Draconids Meteor Shower will not generate the phenomenal rate of 1933; expect only about 10 meteors an hour. This year’s viewing experience will be hampered by a waning gibbous moon with 79% of the Moon’s visible disk illuminated, so one can expect less meteors than usual. The Draconids Meteor Shower peaks on October 8 and you may still catch a few up until the 10th of October. So where does one look? Use the diagram in this post and find the Big Dipper; the apparent radiant is the constellation Draco that gives this shower its name. For a definition and other descriptions please check out the meteor glossary.

Keep your head up!

- Meteor Mark

P.S. If you want to read an anecdote or two, read my other blog.

The post Draconids October Meteor Shower appeared first on Meteor Showers.

Click the Image for Starry Night Software

Keep your head up.

- Meteor Mark

The post Orionids Meteor Shower appeared first on Meteor Showers.

Orionids Meteors: Credit & Copyright: Tunc Tezel

The next image is edited to show the paths of Orionids as the streak away from their radiant.

Edited Image: Copyright & Credit: Tunc Tezel

The Orionids is very active this morning October 21, 2008.  So look after midnight anywhere in the sky and notice the paths of the meteors.

Please report your fireballs and meteor views to us here and read some of the other posts regarding the Orionids Meteor Shower of 2008.

The post Orionids Meteor Shower Photo appeared first on Meteor Showers.

Moon Phases

Q: When is the Best Time for Viewing the Orionids Meteor Shower?

A:  The best time to view a meteor shower is when there is no moon in the sky. On October 20 and 21 the moon will be in a Last Quarter Phase and Waning Crescent Phase; this means just under 50 percent of the illumination from the Moon will brighten the sky. Believe it or not, that is the bad news for the Orionids Meteor Shower. The good news is that October 20 and 21 will have the heaviest activity of the Orionids this year. The best place to view this celestial event is any dark region absent from city lights and when viewing showers remember that it is extremely hard to predict when the meteors will dash across the atmosphere. Your best chance for viewing is also after midnight. Why? Because the Earth turns into the trajectory path of the meteoroids. Only the brightest meteors can be seen and actual meteors seen per hour may vary from person to person and location to location, but one can expect to spot up to two meteors every ten minutes; however if you’re in the right place at the rate time it is rumored you can see up to seventy meteors per hour! If indeed you go out to observe the shower this month, please report to us how many you view in an hour, I’d love to share with you your meteor experience.

Here are some other posts about the Orionids of October:

Orionids Meteor Shower 2008 of October
The Orionids Meteor Shower of 2008 is Underway
Orionids Meteor Shower of 2008 Has a Sidekick

Hope You Catch a Glimpse!

Where to Look

The post The Time is Now for Viewing the October Orionids Meteor Shower appeared first on Meteor Showers.

Orionids Meteor Shower Where to Look

The post Orionids Meteor Shower 2008 of October appeared first on Meteor Showers.

Even though the moon will be bright in the sky, you will still be able to see the larger brighter meteors. When viewing meteor showers there is no need for telescopes or binoculars, merely dress warmly and take a seat in a reclining chair and gaze at one of our Earth’s simple wonders.

The post The Orionids Meteor Shower of 2008 is Underway appeared first on Meteor Showers.

You can view an article on the Orionids Meteor Shower of 2008 by following the link.

The post Orionids Meteor Shower of 2008 Has a Sidekick appeared first on Meteor Showers.

Good luck and happy gazing!

Draconids - Where to Look

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