[ad_1]
CHUNKS of Halley’s Comet will be burning up in the night sky this evening.
Those chunks make up the annual Orionid Meteor Shower, which is a great chance to see a few shooting stars.
Earth moves through the comet’s debris at this time of year[/caption]
The Orionid’s should peak around October 21 this year but you may be able to spot them on some evenings before or after.
Try looking up to the sky just after midnight on October 21.
The meteors will be competing with the brightness of the Full Moon this year so you may also be best looking an hour before sunrise or just after dark this evening.
You could see around 15 shooting stars per hour if you’re blessed with clear skies and an area that has limited light pollution.
The meteors speed through the sky at around 148,000 mph.
Most read in News
It happens 60 miles up in space, when the Earth moves through a cloud of thousands and thousands of space rocks which would be left behind by the famous Halley’s Comet.
What is Halley’s comet?
Dubbed ‘the most famous comet’, Halley’s comet was named after English astronomer, Edmond Halley, who examined reports of comets approaching Earth in 1531, 1607 and 1682.
He concluded that these three comets were actually the same comet returning over and over again, and predicted the comet would come again in 1758.
Halley didn’t live to see the comet’s return, but his discovery led to the comet being named after him.
The comet is known as a ‘periodic’ comet which means it has an orbital time cycle of less than 200 years.
It returns to Earth’s vicinity about every 75 years, making it possible for a human to see it twice in their lifetime.
The last time it was here was in 1986, and it is projected to return in 2061.
What does it have to do with the Orionid Meteor shower?
The Orionid meteor shower is a scientific phenomenon which occurs every October.
The Met Office says the Orionids are a remnant of Comet Halley and at its peak you could see up to 20 shooting stars per hour.
Orionid meteors are known to travel at around 41 miles per second, and with clear, dark skies you will have a good chance of spotting one with its persistent, long trail.
The meteor shower is named as such because it appears to radiate from the constellation Orion, which is one of the most visible and recognisable in the sky throughout the world.
However, you don’t need to stare at Orion to spot the meteors as they can actually appear all over the sky.
- Read all the latest Phones & Gadgets news
- Keep up-to-date on Apple stories
- Get the latest on Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram
Best Phone and Gadget tips and hacks
Looking for tips and hacks for your phone? Want to find those secret features within social media apps? We have you covered…
- How to get your deleted Instagram photos back
- How to track someone on Google Maps
- How can I increase my Snapchat score?
- How can I change my Facebook password?
- How can I do a duet on TikTok?
- Here’s how to see if your Gmail has been hacked
- How can I change my Amazon Alexa voice in seconds?
- What is dating app Bumble?
- How can I test my broadband internet speed?
- Here’s how to find your Sky TV remote in SECONDS
In other news, Nasa is gearing up to launch a spacecraft that will crash into as asteroid as part of a trial of a new planetary defence system.
Find out about the wildly impressive Panasonic 65HZ1000 TV, which makes most tellies look rubbish.
Read our complete guide to Call of Duty Vanguard.
And Dell’s Alienware R10 Ryzen Edition is a gaming PC powerhouse that crushes both the new consoles.
We pay for your stories! Do you have a story for The Sun Online Tech & Science team? Email us at [email protected]
[ad_2]
Source link