Stargazers have been told to keep their eyes on the skies once again this month as the annual Orionid meteor peaks.
The stunning phenomenon takes its name from the Orion constellation, and has been described as “extra special” due to the fact that each meteor is a tiny piece of Halley’s Comet. The Comet and the Earth meet twice each year as they orbit around the Sun, causing the Orionids as well as the Eta Aquariid meteor showers in May.
The meteoroids from Halley’s Comet cause beautiful bright flashes of light across the sky as they strike the Earth’s atmosphere at incredible speeds of 148,000mph. At their peak, there will be up to 25 shooting stars per hour.
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October has already been a treat for stargazers, with the annual Draconid meteor showers peaking earlier this month . The Orionid showers will peak tonight, October 21, between midnight and dawn.
The Met Office predicts good visibility during these hours in Newcastle, but you may struggle to get a glimpse of the showers as it’s forecast to be a cloudy night. The weather will be similarly overcast across the region - but the meteors will continue to be visible up until November 7, so there will still be plenty of chances to catch them when the skies are clearer.
There could be some good opportunities to catch the celestial fireworks across the weekend if you head out to the coast or countryside - it’s set to be partly clear in the likes of Whitley Bay , Tynemouth and North Shields on Saturday night, according to the Met Office. There are also clear intervals forecast in more rural areas such as Alnwick , Morpeth and Bamburgh .
Those hoping to spot the showers are advised to get as far away from artificial light sources as possible, and allow time for your eyes to adjust to the dark. Jake Foster, a public astronomy officer at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, said: “You won’t need any kind of specialist viewing equipment to see the meteor shower, just clear skies and warm clothes.”
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