Orionid Meteor Shower Peaks!

The Orionid meteor shower is upon us! It has been active since September 23 and goes until November 27th but the peak is coming up this Monday and Tuesday, October 21 and 22. The moon will be a waning crescent but unfortunately will probably be bright enough to impact our visibility. The moon will not rise until around midnight and will be up the rest of the night so your best viewing will be before the moon has risen. During the peak scientists expect we could see 20 to 25 meteors per hour. This meteor shower is caused by debris from Halley’s Comet.

Viewing Tips

Meteors are yellow in color and streak across the sky very quickly.

This shower will appear to radiate from just north of the constellation Orion’s bright star Betelgeuse. However, you don’t have to necessarily look directly at the radiant as meteors will appear in all parts of the night sky.

During the early morning hours, shower activity is combined with normal random meteor activity.

Dusk is the worst time to view meteors, as the number of meteors that are visible will increase as the night progresses.

Find the darkest place possible.

Find an open area where no trees or buildings intrude into your view.

Allow your eyes to adjust for 15 – 30 minutes.

Get comfortable. Dress appropriately and lie flat on your back with your feet facing south.

Put away the telescope or binoculars. Using either reduces the amount of sky you can see at one time, lowering the odds that you’ll see anything but darkness.

Avoid looking at your cell phone or any other light. Both will destroy your night vision. If you have to look at something on Earth, use a red light. Some flashlights have filters or you can always paint the clear filter with red nail polish.

• **Send us your photos of the meteor shower and we will share them with our MauiNow.com ohana! Email [email protected]**