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The Orionid meteor shower bath will top out this weekend as Earth flare-up through a field of dust and debris left in the innersolar systemby Halley ’s comet .
Although the Orionids are active from Sept. 26 through Nov. 22 , the best clip to watch will be in the early hours of Saturday , Oct. 21 , when around 23 " shooting stars " are expected per minute , according to theAmerican Meteor Society . The exact tip is at 1 a.m. EDT ( 0500 GMT ) , with shooting whizz from this medium - intensity shower bath striking Earth ’s air at a fleet 41 mile per 2nd ( 66 kilometers per second ) , or around 148,000 mph ( 238,000 kilometre / h ) .
The Orionids are caused by the dust and debris left in the inner solar system by Halley’s comet.
The Orionids , whichNASA describesas one of the most beautiful meteor rain shower of the class , can appear anywhere in the sky . However , they will seem to originate close toBetelgeuse , a famous ruby-red giant star in the configuration Orion .
dissipate superstar pass off when meteors scratch against air particles , creating rubbing and heating plant that vaporize the meteors to create bright stripe of light across the sky , according toSpace.com .
Withthe moon secretive to its first - quarter stage , the darkest sky will be after midnight once the moon has set . That ’s ideal because the Orionids are well seen in the hr after midnight , harmonise toNASA . More shooting stars will be visible in dark - sky locations , which you could key out using alight befoulment map .
The Orionids are one of two annual shooting star showers triggered by Halley ’s comet , which was last seen in the internal solar organization in 1986 . The other is the Eta Aquarid meteor shower , which peaks each year in early May .
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Now beyond Neptune , Halley ’s comet orbit the sun roughly every 76 years , making it the only jazz bare - eye comet that can theoretically be seen double in one human lifetime . Next , it will loop around the sun , go across close to Earth in 2061 . This November and December , the giant comet will reach aphelion , its farthest point from the sunlight , before it commence its return trip to the intimate solar organisation , accord toEarthSky .
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