Orionid Meteor Shower - Oct. 21

[cooperhill]

Not sure if weather/clear skies will cooperate for this or not but it looks like a meteor shower will be peaking Wed. morning. I saw a post from Forestgnome back in 2005 and the date for the meteor event was the same - 10/21. Does anyone know if these happen on the same date every year?

Space Weather News for Oct. 20, 2009
http://spaceweather.com

"METEORS FROM HALLEY'S COMET: Earth is entering a stream of dusty debris from Halley's Comet, and this is causing the annual Orionid meteor shower. If forecasters are correct, the shower will peak on Wednesday morning, Oct. 21st, with dozens of meteors per hour. The best time to look is during the dark hours before local dawn.

For the past three years, Orionid rates have been unusually high, with reports of 60 or more meteors per hour. Researchers believe this is a result of some very old and rich debris from Comet Halley drifting across Earth's orbit. Computer models of the debris suggest that it is still in the neighborhood, so the trend of "good Orionids" could continue in 2009. Visit http://spaceweather.com for photos and updates."

 

[jniehof]

Does anyone know if these happen on the same date every year?

Yes, plus or minus a day. They happen at the same point in Earth's orbit each year (Earth running into persistent clouds of debris), so roughly the same date. (The difference is because the year isn't an exact number of days long, so the date-orbit relationship drifts a bit, and is whacked back into relation by leap years.)

 

[DougPaul]

Google knows all:

Observing the Orionids
http://meteorshowersonline.com/orionids.html

2009 Meteor Showers and Viewing Tips
http://stardate.org/nightsky/meteors/

Doug

 

[Cymbidium]

It was fairly clear last night and I saw a few "shooting stars" out the bathroom window. Glad I had to get up and go!!

 

[Tom Rankin]

We saw 7 in 20 minutes, then got clouded out. An average of 21 per hour for this shower, with several trees and a house obscuring part of the views, is pretty good.

 

[daxs]

hopefully some more tonight i figure I will be up late tonight celebrating the phillies winning the NCLS