Orionid Meteor Shower Peaks This Weekend Over NJ Skies: What You Need To Know

The Orionid meteor shower — known as one of the best of the year — peaks this weekend over New Jersey sites, and the weather looks good.

The meteors, some of the fastest and brightest produced by any showers this year, will peak Friday through Sunday. Meteors will continue to fly through Nov. 7 as Earth hits a stream of debris left behind by Halley’s Comet head-on.

The Orionids, so-named because they originate from near the constellation Orion (The Hunter), are expected to produce between 10 to 30 meteors an hour this year, though in some years as many as 80 meteors an hour can blaze across the sky.

As with most meteor showers, the best time to view them is after midnight through the pre-dawn hours.

The peak comes at a good time. The National Weather Service says that skies will be clear on Friday night, and partly cloudy on Saturday and Sunday nights.

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The Slooh website says it will have a live stream of the meteor shower starting at 8 p.m. ET Friday, and its astronomers will be on to explain the celestial show.

And — good news for meteor show lovers — the moon won’t interfere with viewing pleasure. A thin, waning crescent moon in the early morning hours — when the Orionids are best viewed — makes for ideal viewing conditions right now, according to Earthsky.org. Later in the month, the first-quarter crescent moon will have set long before the meteors tune up, according to Space.com.

Observant skywatchers may see pieces of Halley’s Comet, NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke told Space.com. Remnants of the comet also are visible during the Eta Aquarids shower in May, he said.

No matter where you are on Earth, you’ll be able to see the Orionids. But if shooting stars are originating exclusively from the northern sky, they may be part of the Draconids meteor shower, whose peak passed earlier this month, Earthsky.org said.

And while the meteors originate from near Orion’s sword (the star Betelgeuse) don’t fix your eyes there. Meteors near the point of origin — called the radiant — have short trails and are harder to see, “so you may want to look away from Orion,” Cooke of NASA advised.

If you’re planning an excursion to see the Orionids — or any meteor shower — it’s best to get as far away from city lights and other sources of light pollution. Space.com advises going out around 1:30 a.m., and says binoculars and telescopes won’t help, because those devices are meant to be used to watch stationary objects in the sky.

If you miss the Orionids, there are a few more meteor showers yet this year, including the highly anticipated Geminids, which can produce up to 120 multicolored shooting stars per hour during its peak. Here’s what’s ahead:

November Taurids meteor shower: This long-running shooting star show from Sept. 7-Dec. 10, is actually a two-fer — the South Taurids, which peak Nov. 4-5, and the North Taurids, which peak Nov. 11-12. The North Taurids originate from dust grains left behind by the Asteroid 2004 TG10, while the second is the result of debris left behind by behind by Comet EP Encke. A full moon on Nov. 4 will steal the show, but if you’re patient you may be able to see some, but gy Nov. 11-12, viewing conditions will improve. These typically slow-moving meteors radiate from the constellation Taurus, but you’ll be able to see them anywhere in the sky.

Leonids meteor shower: This shower, which runs annually from Nov. 6-30, is both average and unique. It’s average in that it will only produces about 15 meteors an hour at its peak on the night of Nov. 17 and morning of Nov. 18, but every 33 years, it has a cyclonic peak that results in hundreds of meteors an hour. The last time this happened was in 2001, so it will be 2034 before that happens again. Produced by dust grains left behind by comet Tempel-Tuttle, discovered in 1865, the meteors radiate from the constellation Leo, but just look up and you should see some. With a new moon, skies should be dark enough for a good show. The best viewing time is after midnight.

Geminids meteor shower: You’ve been waiting for this one, too, and it will outshine the Perseids. Running annually from Dec. 7-17, it peaks the night of Dec. 13 and morning of Dec. 14, when it could produce up to 120 multicolored meteors per hour. It’s left behind by debris dust from an the 3200 Phaethon asteroid, discovered in 1982. A waning crescent moon won’t give much competition, and you should be in for an excellent show. The best viewing time is after midnight. The shooting stars radiate from the constellation Gemini, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

Ursids meteor shower: Produced by dust grains left behind by the comet Tuttle, first discovered in 1790, this shower runs annually from Dec. 17-25 and will peak in 2017 on the night of Dec. 21 and morning of Dec. 10. It’s a minor shower, producing only about 5-10 shooting stars an hour. The crescent moon will set early in the evening, leaving dark skies. The best viewing time is just after midnight. Meteors radiating from the constellation Ursa Minor are visible anywhere in the sky.

— Story by Patch Editor Beth Dalbey

Photo by NASA/Hulton Archive/Getty Images