Orionids Meteor Shower 2014 to Peak Tuesday Morning; Find Out How to Watch Here
Skywatchers and stargazers have something to look forward to this October. The 2014 Orionid meteor shower will peak early Tuesday morning, on Oct. 21.
The Orionids is best described as a junior version of the famous Perseid Meteor shower, a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Swift-Tuttle, while the former is associated with the Halley's Comet.
It is being called so with the name due to the fact that they appear from around the constellation Orion.
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As reported, the Orionid is now on its peak and watchers will likely be treated with a "very good show this year" if the weather permits.
"The moon will be slimmed down to a narrow crescent before sunrise on Tuesday (Oct. 21) morning during the peak of the shower. The skinny lunar sliver will not even rise until around 5 a.m. local time," Space.com reported.
Bill Cooke, the head of NASA's Meteorid Environment Office, told the Huffington Post that there would be "about 20 meteors per hour" on average.
How Can You Witness the Meteor Shower?
Observers can look toward the constellation Orion between midnight and dawn. For those in the Northern hemisphere, they can turn their gaze towards the Southeast, while for those in the Southern part of the world can see it in the Northeastern part of the sky.
"You should be able to see a shooting star every three minutes or so, astronomers say. If you miss the meteor shower on Tuesday, you may be able to spot shooting stars Wednesday morning too," HuffPo reported.
For those who won't be able to witness it firsthand, they can watch it live online.
NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Alabama is reported to be hosting a webcast on Oct. 20 at 10 p.m. EDT.
Slooh Space Camera will also be doing a live-streaming of the meteor shower from their telescopes stationed in Canary Islands and Prescott, Arizona at 9 p.m. EDT.
