Orionids 2024 produces up to 30 meteors per hour this night, October 21-22. The celestial event can be observed with the naked eye during the night, without the need for special equipment. The Orionids bear this name because they originate from the constellation Orion.
The Orionid meteor shower can be seen after midnight and until close to sunrise. It is an astronomical event visible from almost any part of the country, but especially from outside the city or away from the strongly artificially lit areas.
The Orionid meteor shower takes place annually between October and November, when the Earth rotates around the Sun and reaches a dust-rich area. The dust comes from asteroids and comets, and in this case of the Orionids, the dust is from Halley’s famous comet, which returns to the Sun every 76 years. The Earth reaches this place twice a year.
“On this night, the Orionids produce up to 30 meteors per hour, or shooting stars. The astronomical phenomenon is visible in Romania and can be observed with the naked eye all night, without the need for special equipment (solar eclipse equipment can consist of special glasses, binoculars or a telescope). It is important that on the night of October 21 to 22 the sky is clear and that we watch the celestial event from areas where there are no sources of artificial light, tall buildings or strong light pollution. In this way, bright meteors can be observed more easily”, Adrian Șonka, Astronomer at the Admiral Vasile Urseanu Astronomical Observatory in Bucharest, told Digi24.