Thanks to its relative lack of light pollution, Ireland is one the best places in the world to witness astronomical events. If you’re lucky enough to be in Ireland right now, make sure you take some time to gaze at the skies tonight.
We’re entering the final stretch of the Orionids meteor shower, which appears once per year when the Earth travels through a section of the cosmos that’s littered with debris from Halley’s comet. The brightest time period this year is October 20 – 22.
Last night’s show wasn’t too great, thanks to the brightness of the moon and its current position in the sky, but tonight could be better – particularly in the hours between midnight and dawn.
Stargazers will have the chance to catch a glimpse of shooting stars during the Orionid meteor shower this weekend: https://t.co/QAUosCNYEq pic.twitter.com/BTkahBHd18
— AccuWeather (@breakingweather) October 18, 2016
This particular shooting star show is called the Orionids because to viewers on Earth they appear to be emanating from the Orion constellation. NASA has give the tip that the brightest point will be “just to the north of constellation Orion’s bright star Betelgeuse.”
Look up! Bits of Halley's Comet are raining down tonight, sparking the #Orionid meteors. https://t.co/h3q6eeyy8I pic.twitter.com/0PcDBZhKLC
— Corey S. Powell (@coreyspowell) October 21, 2016
The meteors will likely be visible to the naked eye, so fret not if you don’t have any fancy equipment. What’s more important is to get as far away as you can from any artificial light sources.
The Kerry International Dark Sky Reserve seems like an ideal vantage point.
If you catch any good snaps of the Orionids, share them with IrishCentral on Facebook or Twitter.
Happy star-gazing!
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