Orionids
The Orionid meteor shower (commonly known as "shooting stars") occurs every year between October 2 and November 7.
The Orionids are a meteor shower of moderate activity, with an activity rate of between 15 and 70 meteors per hour and a high speed of 66 kilometers per second. After the Orionids, the next major meteor shower will be the Geminids in December, with an activity rate of between 100 and 140 meteors per hour.
What to expect in 2024?
In the year 2024 the observation of the orionids will be greatly hampered by the light of the Moon because its maximum will take place on October 21, between the full and the waning phases of the Moon, with our satellite close to the radiant of the shower.
Halley's comet, observed from Earth in 1986.
Why do they happen?
The Orionid meteors are fragments of comet 1/P Halley. Halley's Comet orbits the Sun every 76 years and was last seen from Earth in 1986. Like every year around this time, the Earth passes through a ring populated with the fragments from Halley's comet. When one of these fragments (or meteoroids) comes into contact with the Earth's atmosphere, it is burnt by friction with the air, creating the luminous glow that we know as a meteor or shooting star. Halley's comet is also the origin of another meteor shower, the eta Aquarids, which have their maximum around May 6.
Meteor showers seem to arise from a single point, the so-called radiant. The Orionids are named like this because their radiant is located in the famous constellation of Orion, which begins to be visible around midnight towards the east.
The 'radiant' of the Orionids.
How to see the Orionids?
They can be observed from any location as long as it provides a dark sky. It is preferable to observe from a place that has few obstacles that limit our sight (such as buildings, trees or mountains), and not to use optical instruments that reduce our field of vision. Even though the Orionids seem to come from the constellation of Orion (hence their name), they can be seen anywhere in the sky. It is advisable to look at the darkest areas, in the opposite direction to the position of the Moon if the observation is made before it sets. The most comfortable strategy is to lie down and wait for your eyes to get used to the darkness.