Orionid rain 2021: when is its peak and where can they be seen from
Photo: Menahem KAHANA / Getty Images
The northern and southern hemispheres will witness the peak of the Orionids on October 21. These meteorites are known to be extremely luminous to the naked eye and could fall as much as 15 space rocks per hour at their peak, according to the National Institute of Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics of Mexico (INAOE).
The Orionid shower is one of the most important astronomical events of the year. According to NASA, These meteors are quite fast since they can reach speeds of up to 238 thousand kilometers per hour and by degrading at that speed in the Earth’s atmosphere, they could leave behind the phenomenon known as “light trains”, which makes the fall of these space rocks visible from the planet’s surface.
If the meteors are of considerable size, it is possible for the light trains to become fireballs falling from the sky.
Although the Orionids invade the night sky every year from October 2 to November 7, this 2021the busiest time will occur on the night of October 21 in both hemispheres.
The Orionids owe their name to the fact that it seems that the rain comes from the constellation Orion. However, it is only a point of reference in the sky since in reality meteors are debris from comets that pass through the solar system or pieces of asteroids.
The coordinates of the constellation Orion are: AR = 06h20m, DEC = + 16º00´.
In the case of the Orionids, they are fragments of Comet 1P / Halley as it passes through the Solar System. When these pieces of space rock come into contact with the Earth, it is when you can observe the orionids in October or the aquarids in the month of May.
The famous Halley’s comet takes 76 years to circle the sun. It was discovered in 1705 by Edmond Halley, who predicted that in that time period that giant space rock could be seen piercing the night sky. The last time it was seen on Earth was in 1986 and expected to appear again in 2061.
After the Orionids, the Northern Taurids, the Southern Taurids, and the Leonids will light up the sky in November.
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