Astro Events - Maintained by Roz Reiner

Title:	Orionid Meteor Shower
Location:	Hawaiian Island Viewing
Date / Time:	Before dawn, Oct. 21st
Comments:	Although the last quarter Moon might wash out our view of all but the brightest Orionid meteors this year, we may be still see increased meteor activity for a few mornings on/around Oct. 21st. The Orionids peak before dawn on October 21st. (Best viewing perhaps between 2AM - 5AM). We might expect to see 10 or more meteors ("shooting stars") per hour during this peak, from a dark, clear viewing site. The Orionids typically produce swift, bright meteors, traveling at a velocity of about 41 miles/sec or 190,000 miles/hour! Orionid meteors appear to originate or "radiate" from the constellation Orion, "the hunter" which will be rising in the east at around midnight(HST). Activity increases during the early morning hours when Orion is overhead & the Earth turns skywatchers into the oncoming stream of comet debris. Note that the meteors are visible to the naked eye; no special equipment is required. (A reclining chair perhaps?) Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through the path of a comet. The bits of debris left behind by the comets, most no larger than a grain of sand, create a spectacular light show as they enter the Earth's atmosphere. The Orionids occur every October as we pass through debris left over by Halley's Comet, which last visited our region of the Solar System in 1986. Halley's comet returns to orbit the Sun approximately every 76 years. (Due back in 2061).

Maintained by Roz Reiner - Kauai, Hawaii