Find Out the Best Time to See the Orionid Meteor Shower Magic
We’ll always be enchanted by the wonders of space — meteor showers, constellations and basically anything existing in our fabulous galaxy. That’s why we want to be in the know of any cosmic marvels coming our way. If you missed (or were totally thrilled by) this summer’s Perseid Meteor Shower, then you definitely won’t want to miss the Orionid Meteor Shower happening right now.
It gets its name from the constellation Orion because the meteors appear to be shooting from the hunter’s raised club. Too cool!
With Halley’s Comet currently in our area — something that hasn’t happened since 1986 and won’t occur again until 2061 — Earth is passing through the cosmic body’s wake. Because of this, we witnessed an estimated 25 meteors per hour flying through space at the event’s peak, which happened to be this morning. But don’t worry, you haven’t missed all of the fun!
The shower actually started on October 16 and will last until October 26, so if you didn’t manage to shake yourself awake in the early hours this morning because, like most others, you had to work today, then you still have plenty of time to catch the Orionid Meteor Shower.
To get a glimpse of the space-bound spectacle, head outside an hour or two before dawn and look for Orion. The meteors are incredibly fast and can zoom by in the blink of an eye, so be sure to keep your eyes open. And don’t forget to make a wish on your “shooting star.”
Have you ever been lucky enough to see a meteor? Tweet us @BritandCo!
(h/t HelloGiggles; photos via Getty)