On the night of Saturday you will be able to observe the maximum meteor shower of the Orionids

On the night of October 20 to October 21, one of the most beautiful meteor showers, the Orionida Starfall, will reach its peak.

The meteor shower in the constellation Orion (hence the name Orionids) is connected by Halley's comet. Moreover, a swarm of meteoric bodies, forming orionids, meets the Earth twice a year. At meetings two meteor streams are observed: in the spring - May Aquarids (radiant in the constellation of Aquarius) with the maximum number of meteors on May 5, in autumn - Orionids. The period of activity of the meteor stream Orionid begins on October 2, and ends on November 7. Its peak climbs to 20-21, and sometimes on October 22. The last time Halley's comet flew past Earth in 1986, however its detached particles continue to reach the earth's atmosphere.

Orionids are classified as the average meteor streams. Under favorable conditions, in a dark moonless night, the Orionids can give a maximum of 20 meteors per hour. Despite the fact that the Orionida glacier gives a small number of meteors per hour, it is considered one of the most beautiful and bright meteor showers. Particles of the meteoric swarm of the Orionids enter the earth's atmosphere at a speed of about 66 km / s. Usually they are white, but sometimes red, blue-green, yellow and orange meteors with brightness of about +2.5 m of stellar magnitude come across them.

Observe the Orionids best from midnight to morning, in the south-eastern part of the sky. The maximum of bright falling stars - up to 15-20 meteors per hour - according to the forecasts of the international Meteor Organization this year it will be possible to see on the night of October 21. The moon at this moment will be beyond the horizon and observations will not hurt.

Draconids have passed, mostly in bright moonlight. Orionids, Taurids, Leonids and Geminids ahead! Orionids peak before dawn October 21, in a moon-free sky.

Composite image of 2015 Perseid meteor shower, taken over 3 nights by Scott MacNeill at Frosty Drew Observatory, Charlestown, Rhode Island. He wrote: “Frosty Drew astronomers and volunteers refer to the Perseid shower as the ‘anti-sleep-athon’ and 2015 lived up to the name!”