OCTOBER has been quite the month for celestial events – and it’s not over yet.
We only recently got to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime comet that swings by Earth every 80,000 years.
Composition photo of a previous Orionid meteor shower[/caption]
But the brightness of the Moon may cause a problem…[/caption]
Now it’s time for a meteor shower – but there might be one big problem with the display.
Experts at the Royal Museums Greenwich say the annual Orionid meteor shower is usually the most reliable around.
According to Nasa, it’s one of the most beautiful meteor showers of the year too.
These bright shooting starts are fast ones, capable of travelling at around 148,000 mph.
Some 25 shooting stars are expected to flash through the sky every hour.
It’s expected to peak from the early hours of Monday (October 21).
The Orionid meteor shower is associated with Comet Halley.
However, we have just recently had a big, bright Hunter’s supermoon.
And Sunday into Monday will see a bright gibbous Moon high in the sky.
That could pose a problem when trying to see the Orionid meteor shower by creating too much glare.
If you are lucky enough to catch a glimpse, they should be visible across the UK and the US – weather permitting.
Fear not though, as there are more meteor showers due to happen for the rest of 2024.
Wait until December and there’s a huge Ursids meteor shower just before Christmas.
At its peak, we’re expecting a whooping 150 shooting stars per hour.
What’s the difference between an asteroid, meteor and comet?
Here’s what you need to know, according to Nasa…
- Asteroid: An asteroid is a small rocky body that orbits the Sun. Most are found in the asteroid belt (between Mars and Jupiter) but they can be found anywhere (including in a path that can impact Earth)
- Meteoroid: When two asteroids hit each other, the small chunks that break off are called meteoroids
- Meteor: If a meteoroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere, it begins to vapourise and then becomes a meteor. On Earth, it’ll look like a streak of light in the sky, because the rock is burning up
- Meteorite: If a meteoroid doesn’t vapourise completely and survives the trip through Earth’s atmosphere, it can land on the Earth. At that point, it becomes a meteorite
- Comet: Like asteroids, a comet orbits the Sun. However rather than being made mostly of rock, a comet contains lots of ice and gas, which can result in amazing tails forming behind them (thanks to the ice and dust vaporizing)
