Orionid meteors decorate the sky on this date

Arab Weather - Astronomy enthusiasts in the northern hemisphere will witness one of the most important astronomical phenomena, as the Orionid meteors will appear this evening, Sunday, October 20, with their peak during the hours preceding sunrise on Monday, October 21.

Orionids meteor shower

Professor of Astronomy at the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics in Egypt, Dr. Ashraf Tadros, said that the Orionids are considered a medium meteor shower, as the number of meteors can reach about 20 meteors per hour at its peak.

Tadros explained on his Facebook page that these meteors are created as a result of the Earth entering the dust residue of Halley's Comet, as this residue enters the Earth's atmosphere and burns, leading to the appearance of meteors.

Best viewing spots

Dr. Ashraf Tadros confirmed that the best places to watch the Orionid meteors will be in completely dark places, away from city lights, especially after midnight. He pointed out that the meteors will appear as if they are coming from the Orion constellation, which is why they are called that, but they can appear anywhere else in the sky.

Causes of meteor showers

The astronomy professor explained that annual meteor showers occur when the Earth, during its orbit around the sun, passes through dense clusters of dust and pebbles scattered along the orbits of comets and asteroids. When these particles collide with the upper atmosphere of the Earth, they burn up at an altitude of between 70 and 100 kilometers, causing them to appear as a band of light, which causes meteor showers that recur annually.

peak time

Dr. Tadros confirmed that the appearance of these meteors does not pose any danger to humans or their daily activities, as the meteors burn up in the atmosphere at an altitude of more than 70 kilometers above the Earth's surface. Therefore, watching them is an enjoyable experience for astronomy enthusiasts and those interested in space science.

For its part, the Jeddah Astronomical Society explained in a statement on its official Facebook page that the peak of the Orionid meteor shower will coincide with the moon being in the waning gibbous phase, which may cause most of the faint meteors this year to be obscured. However, a few bright meteors can be spotted.

The best meteor displays are expected at 05:00 a.m. local time on Monday, when its radiant point is high in the sky toward the southern horizon.

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