Buzz
October offers fantastic opportunities for stargazing. If you missed the Draconids, the first meteor shower of the month, don't worry: the Orionids are peaking this weekend. It's the perfect moment if you've ever wanted to dive into skywatching.
The Orionids are the second of two meteor showers resulting from the debris trail left by Halley's Comet. (The other is the Eta Aquarids, which peak in May.) These showers get their name from the Orion constellation, where they appear to originate.
The shower will reach its peak overnight from Sunday, October 21, to Monday, October 22, offering a chance to view 15 to 20 swift meteors per hour. The prime viewing time is between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m., when Orion will be fully visible in the sky. Make it a late-night adventure—your eyes will need about an hour to adjust to the dark. Pack a blanket, grab a bottle of wine, and enjoy the celestial show under the open sky.
The Moon may slightly impact the visibility of the meteors, as reported by Space.com. As it approaches its full phase on October 24, the Moon will be in a waxing gibbous phase, growing bigger and brighter in the sky while the Orionids streak past. To enhance your viewing experience, try to minimize light pollution by staying away from city lights.
Don't worry if clouds obscure your view of the Orionids. Another meteor shower, the Leonids, will grace the skies in November, followed by the most spectacular of them all in December: the Geminids.
