2014 Orionid Meteor Shower
 
Oct. 17, 2014:  Waking up before sunrise is a good way to get a head start
on the day. On Oct. 21st, waking up before sunrise could stop you in your
tracks.
 
Blame Halley's Comet.  Every year in mid-to-late October, Earth passes
through a stream of dusty debris from Comet Halley, and the pre-dawn sky
can light up with a pretty display of shooting stars.
 
http://science.nasa.gov/media/medialibrary/2014/10/17/skymap.gif
 
Orionid meteors fly out of a radiant near the shoulder of Orion, the
Hunter. In this sky map, the radiant is denoted by a red dot. Although the
meteors emerge from a single point, they can appear anywhere in the sky.
Image credit: Dr. Tony Phillips [Larger image]
 
"We expect to see about 20 meteors per hour when the shower peaks on
Tuesday morning, Oct 21st," says Bill Cooke, the head of NASA's
Meteoroid Environment Office.  "With no Moon to spoil the show,
observing conditions should be ideal."
 
Because these meteors streak out of the constellation Orion, astronomers
call them "Orionids."
 
"The Orionid meteor shower is not the strongest, but it is one of the
most beautiful showers of the year," notes Cooke.
 
The reason is its setting: The shower is framed by some of the brightest
stars in the heavens. Constellations such as Taurus, Gemini and Orion
provide a glittering backdrop for the display.  The brightest star of all,
Sirius, is located just below Orion's left foot, a good place to point your
camera while you're waiting for meteors.
 
http://www.spaceweather.com/meteors/orionids/images2009/Jefferson-Teng1.jpg
 
An Orionid meteor streaks over the city lights of Shanghai in 2009. Credit:
Jefferson Teng To see the show, Cooke suggests going outside one to two
hours before sunrise when the sky is dark and the constellation Orion is
high overhead. Lie down on a blanket with a broad view of the heavens. 
Although Orionids emerge from a small area near the shoulder of Orion, they
will spray across the entire sky.
 
"Be prepared for speed," he adds.  "Meteoroids from Halley's
Comet strike Earth's atmosphere traveling 148,000 mph.  Only the November
Leonids are faster."
 
Speed is important because fast meteors have a tendency to explode.
Occasionally, Orionid fireballs will leave incandescent streams of debris
in their wake that linger for minutes. Such filaments of "meteor
smoke" twisted by upper atmospheric winds into convoluted shapes can
be even prettier than the meteors themselves.
 
"It really is a wonderful morning to be awake," says Cooke. 
"Just don't plan on going anywhere in a hurry."
 
Credits:
Author: Dr. Tony Phillips | Production editor: Dr. Tony Phillips | Credit:
Science{at}NASA
 
More information:
 
NASA Meteoroid Environment Office -- home page
 
 
Regards,
 
Roger

--- D'Bridge 3.99