Orionid Meteors: How To See Them In Michigan

The Orionid meteor shower is still building toward its peak, but you should search the skies over Michigan now. By the time the peak arrives an hour or two before dawn on the morning of Oct. 21, a bright waxing gibbous moon — that means the moon is getting larger — will interfere with viewing, but you should be able to see meteors this week during the predawn hours.

While the Orionids are typically modest in the number of meteors they produce — between 20 and 30 shooting stars — the shower is one of the most beautiful of the year because they are known for their brightness and speed, according to NASA.

The weather forecast in Southeastern Michigan over the next several days calls for some cloudy nights. The long-range forecast calls for partly cloudy skies when the shower peaks on Oct. 21.

The fast-moving Orionids travel at about 148,000 miles and can leave glowing “trains” — that is, incandescent bits of debris that can last for several seconds to minutes. Fast meteors also sometimes become fireballs, so be on the lookout for prolonged explosions of light when you’re viewing the Orionids, NASA says.

And there’s another bonus.

“The Orionids are also framed by some of the brightest stars in the night sky, which lend a spectacular backdrop for these showy meteors,” NASA wrote on its website.

The Orionids aren’t the only meteors flying in the predawn sky right now.

If you’re seeing meteors in the northern sky, they could be leftovers from the Draconids, which peaked earlier this month. But if they’re coming from the south, they may be part of the long-lasting Taurid meteor shower, which started in September and continues into early December.

So, how will you know if your’re seeing shooting stars from the Orionid meteor shower? First, look up at eastern sky to locate Orion the Hunter, one of the most conspicuous constellations. Orion’s sword, slightly north of his left shoulder, is the shower’s radiant point (the star Betelgeuse). When you see a meteor, trace it back to to Orion.

But don’t stare directly at Orion.

“It is actually better to view the Orionids from 45 to 90 degrees away from the radiant,” NASA says. “They will appear longer and more spectacular from this perspective. If you do look directly at the radiant, you will find that the meteors will be short—this is an effect of perspective called foreshortening.”

See Also: Patch 2018 Guide To Meteor Showers, Celestial Events

If you wait until the Orionids’ Oct. 21 peak to look for meteors, you’re likely to be disappointed, according to EarthSky.org, which said there will be only a brief window to see them in the hour or two before dawn. The meteors fly through Oct. 29.

The Orionids are extremely fast, whizzing by at about 148,000 mph. The can produce up to 80 meteors an hour, but 2018 isn’t expected to be an outburst year, Cooke said. Instead, they’ll probably fly at a rate of 20 or 30 an hour, he said.

Like the Eta Aquarids in May, the Orionids are produced by debris left behind by Comet Halley, the most famous of all comets. Halley swings by the sun every 76 years and was last seen on Earth in 1986 and won’t be seen again until 2062. The comet leaves behind a debris trail, which the Earth plows into twice a year during its orbit.

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