étoiles filantes
© Luna Joulia
Bonne nouvelle! Depuis cette nuit, le 20 octobre et jusqu’au 7 novembre, une pluie de météores permettra d’observer nombre d’étoiles filantes, avec un pic maximum dans la nuit du 20 au 21 octobre. Préparez vos vœux!
Eh! Oui! La magie des étoiles filantes nous touche de très près. On aime faire nos voeux et les envoyer directement à chaque étoile filante qu'on voit!
Les amoureux d’étoiles faites attention à vos voeux. Moi aussi, si j'ai la chance de faire les miens.
On est ravis d’apprendre que ce soir, la nuit du 20 au 21 octobre, on pourra avoir ce plaisir habituellement estival. On continue en anglais?
Love shooting stars? Then you’ll love the Orionid Meteor Shower, the second meteor shower of October, which peaks October 21-22 each year.
Orionid meteor shower/ Falling stars
Love shooting stars? Then you’ll love the Orionid Meteor Shower, the second meteor shower of October, which peaks October 21-22 each year.
One of the best sky shows of the year, will peak between Oct. 20 and 22, when the Orionid meteor shower reaches its best viewing.
They’ll probably be most prolific in the few hours before dawn on October 21, but we can try watching before dawn on October 22, too.
They’ll probably be most prolific in the few hours before dawn on October 21, but we can try watching before dawn on October 22, too.
An image of Halley's Comet taken in 1986
Credit: NASAhttps://www.space.com/
The meteors that streak across the sky are some of the fastest and brightest among meteor showers, because the Earth is hitting a stream of particles almost head on.
The particles come from Comet 1P/Halley, better known as Halley’s Comet. This famous comet swings by Earth every 75 to 76 years, and as the icy comet makes its way around the sun, it leaves behind a trail of comet crumbs. At certain times of the year, Earth's orbit around the sun crosses paths with the debris.
Scientists say that we have a good chance, even though this morning before dawn might have presented the peak numbers.
We can watch pieces of Halley's Comet during the Eta Aquarids (in May) and the Orionid meteor shower (in October and November), NASA meteor expert Bill Cooke said.
The comet last visited Earth in 1986 and will return next in 2061.
- Orionids:
The Orionids are named after the direction from which they appear to radiate, which is near the constellation Orion (The Hunter).
The Orionids, which peak during mid-October each year, are considered to be one of the most beautiful showers of the year.
If the meteors originate from Comet Halley, why are they called the Orionids?
via EarthSky
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) which 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.
The Orionids are also framed by some of the brightest stars and planets in the night sky, which lend a spectacular backdrop for theses showy meteors.
Skywatchers in 2017 will not have moonlight to contend with, as the first-quarter moon will have set long before the meteors put on their best show.
If you miss the peak, the show is also visible between Oct. 15 and 29, as long as the moon isn't washing the meteors out.
Sometimes the shower peaks at 80 meteors an hour; at others it is closer to 20 or 30. Cooke predicted that in 2017, the peak would be at the smaller end of the scale, echoing the peaks of 2016 and years before.
- The show in October 2025:
Get ready stargazers! The Orionid meteor shower peak begins tonight, welcoming a spectacular natural light show that could see a flurry of shooting stars spawned by Halley's Comet brighten the dark, moonless sky.
The 2025 Orionid meteor shower peak begins overnight on Oct. 20-21, when 10-20 shooting stars may be visible streaking across the night sky from a point of origin known as a "radiant", located close to the red star Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion.
Orion
credits: credit: manpuku7 via Getty Images
While tonight is the peak, Orionid shooting stars can be seen from Oct. 2 to Nov. 7 as Earth passes through the debris trail shed by comet 1P/Halley. During that time, particles cast off from that ancient body collide with our planet at speeds of up to 41 miles per second (66 kilometers per second), burning up in a magnificent display as they're overwhelmed by the friction of atmospheric entry.
Orionid meteors will be visible to skywatchers in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres (weather permitting).
To see the Orionid meteor shower at its best, go to the darkest possible location, lean back and relax. You don't need equipment like telescopes or binoculars as the secret is to take in as much sky as possible and allow about 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark.
The best time to view the Orionid meteor shower is between midnight and dawn when the shower's radiant, the Orion constellation, is high in the sky.
credits: Eerik via Getty Images
As it's the case with most night time sky watching events, light pollution can hinder your view of the Orionid meteor shower. If possible, get far away from city lights (which can hinder the show).
Typically, Orionid meteors are dim and hard to see from urban locations, so you should find a dark (and safe) rural location to get the best views of Orionid activity.
The Orionids are active from Sept. 26 to Nov. 22 according to the American Meteor Society and will peak between Oct. 20 and Oct. 21.
This year, the moon will not interfere with Orionid meteor shower hunting efforts as it will be in the new moon phase during the peak.
Note: To calculate sunrise and moonrise times in your location check out this custom sunrise-sunset calculator.
Education:
Most of us are excited about Orionid shower. Science students too. Do you remember the Summer Solstice 2016 & ‘Strawberry (June 2016)? Or Catch Some Falling Stars, the Quadrantids (January 2016). Don't miss Eta Aquarid meteor shower (May 2016), Here comes the 2nd Supermoon, the Mega Beaver moon (November 2016), Stay up & watch the Total Eclipse ! (August 2017). Wow what a sky! And so many educational resources.
It's school time to teachers and students. So, prepare your students to sky watching and ask them to do some good shots, or videos with smartphones, or tablets to discuss the theme tomorrow or next lesson. May be compare it with the Perseid meteor shower of last year?
The science curriculum will be enhanced with the help of this incredible event.
The science curriculum will be enhanced with the help of this incredible event.
Meteor showers aren’t just one-night events. In fact, they can last for several days
Do you want a better science lesson ? Enjoy the show!
Hoping to be lucky! The sky is bright. Could I send my wishes tonight?
“Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I wonder what you are.”
G-Souto
20.10.2017
update: 20.10.2025
update: 20.10.2025
Copyright © 2025G-Souto'sBlog, gsouto-digitalteacher.blogspot.com®
Schools : Here comes the Orionid meteor showers ! by G-Souto is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Sources: Space.com/ NASA/ EarthSky
