Skygazers across Canada will be in for a celestial treat as the Orionid meteor shower peaks from Wednesday night through Thursday morning.
The Orionid meteor shower is caused by debris from Halley’s comet, which passes Earth roughly every 76 years. While Halley’s comet won’t near Earth again until 2061, the annual meteor shower becomes visible as our planet passes through the comet’s sprawling debris trail.
The Orionids can be bright and fast, leaving glowing trails that are commonly known as “shooting stars.”
With clear and cloudless conditions, the meteor shower will be visible to anyone in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere after midnight local time. While the Orionids can be visible for a few weeks before and after the peak, you will be able to see as many as 20 meteors per hour overnight Wednesday, according to the American Meteor Society.
The Orionids appear to originate from the direction of the Orion constellation, which explains their name.
Orionid meteors are known to fly by at high speeds, streaking through Earth’s atmosphere at 66 kilometres per second.
For the best viewing experience, be sure to get away from city lights and any other light pollution. You don’t need any special equipment to see the spectacle.
However, a bright waxing gibbous moon, which is about 76 per cent full, is expected to dampen the view. If you’re awake in the early hours, be sure to look up between moonset and dawn. According to timeanddate.com, the moon will set overnight at 2:16 a.m. in Halifax, 1:56 a.m. in Montreal, 2:24 a.m. in Toronto, 2:26 a.m. in Winnipeg, 2:34 a.m. in Calgary and 2:16 a.m. in Vancouver.
Known as the Southern Taurids, the next significant meteor shower is expected to peak overnight between Nov. 4 and 5.
With files from CNN and The Associated Press
