A little over a month has passed since the sky lit up for the last time with the arrival of the well-known Tears of San Lorenzo, but this October the meteors will once again fall on our country. From October 2nd to November 7th, the meteor shower Orionids in our country, although the dawn of October 21 to 22 It will be the peak of maximum splendor of this astronomical phenomenon.
It is Shooting Stars that we observe annually are, in fact, rocky, metallic or ice particles produced by the disintegration of comets that can be seen when the Earth intervenes in the orbit of the star.
Specifically, the Orionids come from the constellation of orion (from which they receive their name) and are characterized by being fragments detached from the cometa 1/P Halley. The direction of this comet, which seems to rotate in the opposite direction to the Earth, makes this meteor shower much faster than others, reaching speeds of up to 66 kilometers per second.
But at what time and from where can we see this new October meteor shower in Spain? What is the best way to spot this astronomical phenomenon?
At what time and where to see the Orionid meteor shower in Spain
This year 2022, the peak of maximum splendor of the Orionids will take place on early morning from October 21 to 22. This happening four days before the new moon on October 25 will make meteor watching much easier, especially at 02:00 in the morning, when will be the best time of the night to see this shower of stars. During this time, between 15 and 70 meteors per hour are expected to be seen.
Before the sun rises, tomorrow the 22nd you will be able to see an Orionid cross the sky fleetingly. It is the vaporization in our atmosphere of a small particle detached from Halley’s Comet, whose orbit we are crossing. On the 24th Mercury and the Moon will be together to the east. pic.twitter.com/xRHvEzgJms
— Royal Observatory (@RObsMadrid) October 21, 2022
Close to the constellation of Orion, the Orionids pass very close to the star Betelgeuse. The best point to observe during this night will be the constellation of ‘the three Marys’.
However, the abundant cloudiness and rainfall left by the passage of the Armand storm in our country will complicate the observation of this natural spectacle, especially in those regions most affected by the storm.
How to watch the October meteor shower in 2022
Shooting stars cannot be seen from all places. In fact, the Light pollution of the large nuclei can complicate their observation, so the best option to spot them may be to move to areas far from the noise and lights, such as the mountains or the beaches. In addition, although the meteors can be seen in any direction, they will be seen preferentially to the north and northeast.
It will be possible to observe the Orionids with the naked eye, without the need for telescopes, although the trails of the meteors will be more visible with the use of binoculars. In addition, it will be key to orient yourself with respect to the constellations of the night sky to find ‘The Three Marias’ and be able to observe them in all their splendor.