The Orionids Are Coming

It’s time to look up, because the Orionids are coming to the Northern Hemisphere from 16-24 October.

You’ll be able to see the shooting stars without the need for a telescope or binoculars. But to see them at their very best, you’ll want to wake up early: from 04:00 - 05:00 Daylight Savings Time, according to Farmer’s Almanac, you should be able to see anything from 10 to over 30 meteors each hour.

What is it, precisely, that you’re watching in the night sky? That’d be trails of cosmic dust from Halley’s Comet sparking up against Earth’s atmosphere at speeds fasters than forty miles per second.

And the hours before dawn are when “Earth encounters the densest part of Halley’s debris stream,” NASA explains.

Peaking on Thursday 21 October, the meteor shower will appear to radiate from the Orion constellation in the southwestern sky.

Today's OGN Sunday Magazine articles

Samhain: Holloween was born in Irish caves 2,000 years ago. Pagan ritual eventually morphed into the sugar-coated event it is today.

Cheers: Just thinking about the climate can make you reach for a stiff drink. A New York startup offers the chance to do so emissions-free with vodka made from CO2 and water.

Survey: Research reveals meat eating in the UK has fallen by 17 percent over the last decade - a key way each individual on Earth can make a positive difference.

Weird and Wonderful Facts: Whether you want to brush up on your pub quiz skills or just enjoy esoteric info, here's a dozen off beat facts...

Today's videos