Attention stargazers: At the end of next week, the Orionids meteor shower will pass over our Earth Sciences

The Orionids meteor shower appears in our skies every year from October 16 to 26. The shower’s core, or radiant, is located in the constellation Orion, which also explains the name of the phenomenon. In fact, meteors or shooting stars have nothing to do with the constellation, but come from one of the most famous and brightest comets: Comet Halley. Meteors move quickly across the sky and leave behind bright trails of light, creating a stunning light show.

The peak of the meteor shower is expected to reach Sunday around 5 p.m. This time is not ideal as it is still light. According to the Dutch weather website “Weeronline”, only 11 meteors will be seen per hour. For comparison: with a dark and clear sky, you can observe about twenty meteors per hour.

Weather conditions also play an important role. According to current forecasts, the weather will be cloudy and rainy next weekend. But “Weeronline” confirms that a single survey is usually enough to detect a number of meteors.

To view the spectacle, it is best to go somewhere remote where there is not a lot of light pollution, such as the countryside. In such places you can see four times as many meteorites as in urban areas.