Full Moon Doesn't Phase Orionids Viewing

Despite the fullness of the moon, the all-sky meteor camera at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala., managed to detect a decent number of Orionid meteors this October -- 41 in total! These meteors, produced by debris from Halley's Comet, travel at 146,000 miles per hour and burn up high in the atmosphere. (more)...

 

Shown above are two Orionid meteors observed on Oct. 21, 2010.  The shower radiant, located near the constellation Orion, is easily visible.

ORIONID METEOR SHOWER

http://spaceweather.com/http://meteor.uwo.ca/Earth is entering a broad stream of debris from Halley's Comet, and this is causing the annual Orionid meteor shower. "The best time to look is during the hours before dawn on Thursday, Oct. 21st, and again on Friday, Oct 22nd," advises Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. "Unfortunately, we have a bright Moon this year. Even so, I'd expect some bright Orionids to shine through the moonlight." An all-sky camera at the University of Western Ontario recorded this early Orionid fireball on Oct. 18th: (more)...

Stargazers Can watch Orionid Meteor Shower, Debris From Halley's Comet

The 2010 Orionid meteor shower peaks during the day of October 21, 2010. For stargazers wanting to observe Orionid meteors, the best times will me the mornings of October 21 and October 22. (more)...