Orionid meteor shower to star in October sky

The annual Orionid meteor shower is just around the corner with October featuring some of the year’s best meteorspotting weather.

This time of year, the temperatures are mild and the view isn’t obscured by monsoon storms. In addition, local astronomers say several other minor meteor showers are taking place around the same time, increasing the chances of seeing what are also known as “shooting stars” or “falling stars.”

“You basically can’t get better weather,” for meteor watching, said Arizona State University Professor Patrick Young with the School of Earth and Space Exploration.

Here are tips for spotting the most meteors from Young and Adam Block, who works at Steward Observatory in the University of Arizona’s Department of Astronomy.

The peak is Monday night into Tuesday morning. This year, the best viewing time is 10 p.m. to midnight because the moon rises after midnight, making the sky brighter and the meteors fainter. The moon will be 45% full that morning.

But even with the moon, you should be able to spot meteors until dawn Tuesday.

The Orionid is not the most plentiful meteor shower of the year. But the shower is known for producing long trails in the sky, visible for four seconds or even longer, Block said.

Meteors can appear all over the sky, so don’t focus on just one area. No telescope or binoculars are needed.

Expect from 10 to 20 meteors an hour, according to the International Meteor Organization. For best viewing, plan to spend at least an hour outdoors.

The Orionid meteor shower happens about the same time each year as the Earth encounters the orbit of Halley’s Comet. Dust from the comet burns up in Earth’s atmosphere as meteors.