SHOOTING STARS. A shower of shooting stars can be observed in the sky this Friday, October 21, 2022. The peak of Orionid activity is expected overnight from Friday to Saturday. Here’s how to try to observe them.
[Mis à jour le 21 octobre 2022 à 23h01] The night of Friday October 21 to Saturday October 22 will be the scene of many shooting stars observed across the sky. The Orionids, which take their name from the constellation Orion, are a meteor shower visible for several weeks in October, but according to theAmerican Meteor Society (AMS), peak visibility should occur overnight. This year, between 10 and 20 shooting stars per hour can be observed by the luckiest and most determined to stay awake. If you can’t make it, don’t panic. The Orionids are observable until November 7, 2022.
The observation conditions promise to be optimal for this nocturnal spectacle. When you see a meteor, multiply your wishes, a well-known tradition! Learn all about Orionid sightings below:
Active from October 2 to November 7, these shooting stars are particularly observable from October 21 to 22, in mid-autumn. The Orionids, which take their name from the constellation of Orion (easy to recognize, its seven brightest stars form a bow tie or slightly tilted hourglass!), are visible in the northern hemisphere at this time of year. Depending on the year, between 20 and 30 shooting stars pierce the sky every hour.
The contemplation of this meteor shower will be visible from midnight (French time) on the night of this Friday 20 to Saturday 21 October. They must either be observed at the beginning of the night before sunrise Moon, until about 2 a.m., or be already awake in the last hours of the night. Indeed, the light of the Moon interferes with observations and makes shooting stars invisible. However, if you are observing shooting stars after moonrise, stand with your back to the moon if possible. The brightness should not interfere with the observation of the most visible meteors, especially if you manage to be far from city centers or points of light.
Several major stellar meetings of shooting stars take place during the year 2022. This Friday, October 21, we do not miss the phenomenon of Orionids. If you can’t make it, don’t panic. The Orionids are observable until November 7, 2022. Then discover the other most notable meteor showers that appear in the sky throughout the year, in chronological order of appearance below:
- The Leonids : located in the zodiacal constellation of Leo, the Leonid meteor shower appears from November 15 to November 30 with a peak of activity from November 17 to 18. If 10 to 20 shooting stars are observable in the sky per hour, every 33 years (in 2031), the spectacle becomes unforgettable after the passage of comet 55P/Temple-Tuttle: the rain of shooting stars then turns into storm, with thousands of meteors in one night!
- The Geminids : produced by a celestial object called “3200 Phaethon”, the Geminids would thus come not from comets, but from asteroids. Active from December 7 to 17, their peak of activity is between December 13 and 14 with an hourly rate of 60 to 75 meteors, or even 120 to 160 meteors per hour at their strongest. To observe them, visualize the constellation Gemini above the eastern horizon.
- The Ursids : this meteor shower is active from December 17 to 26, associated with comet 8P/Tuttle. The peak of the Ursids takes place just before Christmas on the night of December 21 to 22. It is of low intensity, with 10 to 20 meteors per hour.
- The Quadrantids : active during the winter nights between December 28 and January 12, they display a rate of 120 meteors per hour, during the night of January 2 to 3. They originate from the sleepy comet 2003 EH1.
- The Lyrids : located in the constellation of Lyra and active from April 16 to April 25, the Lyrid meteor shower peaks on the night of April 22 to 23 each year, with a rate of 5 to 20 meteors observable at time. It is associated with comet C/1861 G1 Thatcher.
- The Eta Aquarids : active from April 19 until May 28, mainly visible in the southern hemisphere, the meteor shower is supplied by comet Halley. Its peak is located on the night of May 5-6, with a rate of 70 meteors per hour.
Find below all the essential advice for good preparation and good observation of the stars. Photography enthusiasts will learn all the tricks necessary to immortalize these magical celestial ballets.
No danger or need for specific equipment! Shooting stars are visible to the naked eye by everyone. No need therefore to take out the binoculars or the telescope, given the high speed at which the fireballs pass through the Earth’s atmosphere (an average of 50 km/second). About a quarter of shooting stars leave visible trails for several seconds. To be able to observe a shower of shooting stars in an optimal way, the sky must not be obscured by clouds, or by light pollution.
The chance of seeing a shooting star depends mainly on the period of observation, although other factors such as the observation area come into play. Shooting stars are actually small dust particles that enter the Earth’s atmosphere very quickly by producing a luminous trail visible from Earth. This dust comes from comets which, approaching the Sun, see their ice evaporate and pulverize very small pieces of rock forming a cloud of small rocky particles. When the Earth passes through these clouds, this dust creates shooting stars that can be admired in the sky.
This is why you will have an increased chance of observing shooting stars when the Earth passes through one of these swarms. This summer, you can take advantage of the Perseids whose peak intensity takes place at the beginning of August with around a hundred shooting stars per hour. During the Quadratides and the Gemenides, which take place in early January and mid-December respectively, you can observe up to 120 shooting stars per hour.
Finally, the viewing conditions can influence the number of shooting stars you will see. Give preference to sparsely urbanized areas, protected from light pollution. Try to find a place where the horizon is clear and a cloudless night.
This tradition seems to come from ancient Greece, according to the Huffington Post. At the time, it was thought that the gods looked at the Earth by lifting the celestial vault, like a lid on the world. In doing so, they sometimes caused stars to fall: shooting stars. These events were interpreted as the sign that a god was observing the Earth, that is to say the best time to send him a wish.
The stellar tradition, which occurs each year at the same period, will be perpetuated, but beware of confusion: it is obviously not a question of “star” strictly speaking, but of asteroid dust which passes very close to our planet and some of which come into “collision” with the Earth. Shooting stars have nothing to do with stars. It is an extinct comet, or else an asteroid which, while moving, leaves behind a large number of debris.
Luminous phenomena, shooting stars (or meteors) thus appear each time tiny meteorites come into contact with the dense layers of the atmosphere, at speeds ranging from 15 to 70 km per second. Due to the friction of the air, this dust – sometimes more or less large pebbles – becomes incandescent before volatilizing. Electrified as they pass, the air becomes luminescent, giving the impression of persistent streaks that seem to come from the same place in the sky: the constellation of Lyra for the Lyrids, that of Orion for the Orionids, Perseus for the Perseids , Leo for the Leonids or Gemini for the Geminids…