Orionid meteor shower in night skies over Kamloops, Okanagan

The Orionid meteor shower is active in night skies over Kamloops and the Okanagan for the next six weeks giving ample time to enjoy it.

Known for fast, bright meteors, this shower is considered by NASA to be one of the most beautiful meteor showers of the year with more than 20 meteors visible every hour when the moonlight isn’t in the way.

Active from Oct. 2 to Nov. 12, the Orionid meteor shower sparks up every year when Earth passes through debris left when Halley’s comet passed through.

Halley’s Comet has a 75-year orbit, and every time it goes through the inner solar system it sheds more dust and ice particles. Comets alight when the particles hit Earth’s atmosphere and vaporize.

Appearing to radiate from the constellation Orion, the meteors travel at 66 kilometres per second and leave long, glowing trails sometimes producing extremely bright meteors called fireballs, according to NASA.

This year, the shower reaches peak activity between Oct. 20 and 23 when the moon will be a thin crescent, allowing for optimal viewing conditions.

A smaller meteor shower, called the Draconid meteor shower, is active from Oct. 6 to 10 with peak activity on Oct. 8, however observing these meteors will be challenging this year due to light from the supermoon.

The Draconids occur when Earth travels through debris left by Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner which orbits the sun every 6.6 years.

Draconids appear to radiate out of the constellation of Draco the dragon, and unlike other meteor showers that are more visible after midnight, can be spotted just after sunset.

You don’t need a telescope to view Orionids or Draconids, just a dark location away from city lights.