Orionid Meteor Shower 2013 Peaks Tonight - Continues into November

By Todd Richissin

The Orionid meteor shower peaks Monday night with a weather forecast of clear skies and no rain. (Are you reading this after Monday? Don't worry, there are still plenty of meteors to be seen as the meteor shower wanes.)

The bad news: The moon will be bright, which can obscure many of the Orionids meteors in what is typically one of the busier showers of the year.

• Very cool photos of the Orionid meteor shower on Facebook.
• A YouTube video about the Orionids.

The meteor shower will continue until about Nov. 7.

From NASA on the Orionids:

The Orionids, which peak during mid-October each year, are considered to be one of the most beautiful showers of the year. Orionid meteors are known for their brightness and for their speed. These meteors are fast -- they travel at about 148,000 mph (66 km/s) into the Earth's atmosphere. Fast meteors can leave glowing "trains" (incandescent bits of debris in the wake of the meteor) that last for several seconds to minutes. Fast meteors can also sometimes become fireballs: Look for prolonged explosions of light when viewing the Orionid meteor shower.

Remnants from this shower, as well as the Eta Aquarids in May, come from Halley's Comet. 

Fast Facts on the Orionids from Earthsky.org:

Comet of Origin: 1P/Halley
Radiant: Just to the north of constellation Orion's bright star Betelgeuse
Active: 2 Oct. - 7 Nov. 2013
Peak Activity: 20-21 Oct. 2013
Peak Activity Meteor Count: Approximately 20 meteors per hour in moonless skies.
Meteor Velocity: 66 km (41 miles) per second

Do you like to try and catch celestial events such as this? Any good tips for those in the Bay Area? Tell us in the comments below.