National Ledger - Orionid Meteor Shower: Any More Chances?

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By Lynda Johnson Oct 22, 2007

October 21, 2007 was the prime viewing for the Orionid Meteor Shower. But your chance is not entirely over, The American Meteor Society reports that Orionid meteors can be seen from early October through the first week of November. Rates were fairly low until October 17. On that date they reached about five per hour and increase another five each night until they reach maximum activity on October 21.

Orionid Meteor Shower: Any More Chances?

You still have a shot - according to the report rates remain high on the 22nd and slowly descend on the 23rd. After that the rates decrease approximately five shower members per night until reaching a total of five per hour on the 26th. Rates slowly fall until the activity ceases in mid-November.

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Gene Byrd had some advice here for the weekend viewing that could still work. He writes, "Lots of people will want to bundle up. Observing the Orionids means being outside during the chilliest part of the night, so dress appropriately. "Meteor watching is one of the coldest activities known to man," Alan MacRobert, a senior editor at Sky and Telescope magazine told National Geographic.

The meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, but will all seem to emanate from a single point, called the radiant. The radiant for the Orionids, in the constellation Orion, will be high in the southern sky in the predawn hours. More tips here. You may have missed the big show but you still have a shot in the pre dawn hours. "Happy Skywatching!"

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