Orionid meteor shower peaks this weekend

Not one of the more dazzling displays

ROANOKE, Va. – The Orionid meteor shower is set to peak early Monday morning, October 22. Don't expect this to be like the annual Perseids, though. This meteor shower, even at peak, only puts out about 15-20 meteors per hour. Nevertheless, if you're an avid sky watcher, you should be on the lookout.

The timing may not be ideal, but between 2 and 5 a.m. Sunday may be your best bet to see a few meteors in the southern sky

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Early Monday morning, the sky will be crystal clear, You'll want to dress for the weather, though, as it will be quite chilly. 

One other downside, outside of the timing and the fairly low amount of meteors, is the moon phase. 

At peak time for the Orionids, the moon will be just a few days away from its full phase. This means that the moon's light may actually inhibit our view of the already dim Orionids.

That's why it's especially important to get far away from light pollution, if you plan on trying to scope out any meteors this weekend.


About the Author

Meteorologist Chris Michaels is an American Meteorological Society (AMS) Certified Broadcaster, forecasting weather conditions in southwest Virginia on WSLS 10 News from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. weekdays on Virginia Today.

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