There’s a must-see meteor shower happening this month

South Africans will have another chance to catch shooting stars this month as the annual Orionid meteor shower reaches its peak.

The Orionids are known for producing fast, bright meteors, with some leaving glowing trails behind them as they burn up in Earth’s atmosphere.

The meteor shower is active from 2 October to 7 November, but it will peak around a certain time this month.

Here’s when to see it.

What causes the Orionid meteor shower?

The Orionids are basically caused by debris left behind by Halley’s Comet.

As Earth orbits the Sun, it passes through the trail of dust and tiny particles the comet left behind. When these particles enter Earth’s atmosphere at high speed, they heat up and produce the bright streaks of light we see as meteors.

The Orionids are particularly fast, travelling at around 66 kilometres per second. Some can leave glowing trains that remain visible for several seconds, while particularly bright meteors can appear as fireballs.

Halley’s Comet itself won’t return to the inner solar system until 2061, but Earth passes through its debris stream every year.

So, when will the Orionids peak?

The peak is expected on the night of 21 October into 22 October.

Under dark-sky conditions, the shower can produce around 10 to 20 meteors per hour at its peak. However, that doesn’t mean South Africans will necessarily see that many from their location, as light pollution, weather, and the radiant’s position all affect what can be seen.

The Moon will also, unfortunately, be a factor this year.

NASA says a bright waxing gibbous Moon will wash out some of the fainter meteors around the peak. The best opportunity may therefore come in the few hours before dawn, after the Moon has set.

Can South Africans see the Orionids?

Yes. The Orionids are visible from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres, meaning South Africans can watch the shower too.

You don’t need a telescope or binoculars. In fact, the best way to watch a meteor shower is generally to use your eyes, giving yourself as wide a view of the sky as possible.

The meteors appear to radiate from the direction of the constellation Orion, which is where the shower gets its name. But you shouldn’t stare directly at Orion.

The meteors can appear anywhere across the sky, and NASA recommends looking well away from the radiant because meteors can appear longer and more spectacular from other parts of the sky.

For observers in the Southern Hemisphere, NASA recommends lying back with your feet facing roughly north-east and taking in as much of the sky as possible.

The biggest advantage you can give yourself is finding a dark location away from city and street lights.

And patience is important. Meteors don’t arrive at perfectly regular intervals, so you could see several in a short period and then have a quiet spell.