Photo by Jacek Halicki, from Wikimedia Commons
By Cole Walters
The Ramspondents
Every October, the Orionids meteor shower graces skies across the globe as the Earth passes through the remnants of comet Haley. This particular shower is expected to last from Oct. 2 through Nov. 7, reaching its peak Oct. 22-23.
Viewers can expect to see anywhere from 10 to 20 meteors per hour during the peak of this shower. The Orionids enter the atmosphere with an impressive speed, which means they can leave behind glowing “trains,” or fiery trails of debris that linger in the sky, for several seconds to a few minutes.
“The Orionids (meteor) shower is always a reliable, exciting spectacle,” said Mable Keller, an amateur astronomer and community member of the Fargo-Moorhead Astronomy Club.
This year, the Orinids have displayed a low to average frequency of meteors, averaging up to 20 meteors per hour. Some years, particularly 2006 through 2009, between 50 and 75 meteors were seen per hour.
“Though this year’s display is more average, don’t let that discourage you from trying to see some meteors,” Keller said. “I feel like I have seen the most fiery displays on average years. Seeing one fireball makes getting out and viewing the shower worth it to me.”
“Though this year’s display is more average, don’t let that discourage you from trying to see some meteors. I feel like I have seen the most fiery displays on average years. Seeing one fireball makes getting out and viewing the shower worth it to me.”
Fireball meteors are rare, but with the presence of a meteor shower, they become much more common. Fireballs are characterized by being equal to the brightness or brighter than the planet Venus. Especially large fireball meteoroids are characterized as bolides and can be viewed in the middle of the day.
The Orionids are fast in comparison to many meteors, with an average speed of 41 miles per second as they enter Earth’s atmosphere. Higher speeds result in increased friction as these meteors enter the atmosphere, causing them to heat up and grow brighter as they soar across the sky.
“The speed of the Orionids makes them much brighter than normal,” Keller said. “One of the brightest meteors I’ve ever seen was during an Orionids shower a few years ago.”
Though brighter meteors can be viewed from anywhere, it is recommended that you have limited light pollution during your viewing.
“Get out of the city lights and (go) somewhere you have no distractions,” Keller said. “You’ll be surprised by how much the sky opens up to you when you head out there.”
The best time to view the Orionids shower is between midnight and dawn. Astronomers at NASA recommend that you lie flat on your back and face southeast to maximize the number of meteors you view. After around 30 minutes, your eyes will be almost completely adjusted to the dark, allowing you to see the meteors with better clarity.
In northern Colorado, we’re in luck. Though Fort Collins is considered a class 5 or 6 out of 9 on the Bortle scale, a scale that measures light pollution levels, the city is in the vicinity of many areas with Bortle scores much lower on the scale. Cities near Fort Collins, such as Buckeye and Red Feather Lakes, are considered a class 2 or 3 on the Bortle scale, allowing for a much better viewing of the Orionids.
Cole Walters is a junior at Colorado State University majoring in Communication Studies and minoring in Science Communication. He has a diverse background in journalism and communication, including social media, written journalism and photojournalism.