In_The_Wind
In_The_Wind's JournalOrionid Meteor Shower 2017 Peaking Now
The annual Orionid meteor shower peaks this weekend, and the moon wont interfere.
HUDSON VALLEY, NY The Orionid meteor shower will peak Friday, Oct. 20 through Sunday, Oct. 22, but observant Hudson Valley skywatchers may have already seen a few meteors streaking across the sky from the annual show. The meteors some of the fastest and brightest produced by any showers this year will continue to fly through Nov. 7 as Earth hits a stream of debris left behind by Halleys Comet head-on.
The Orionids, so-named because they originate from near the constellation Orion (The Hunter), are expected to produce between 10 to 30 meteors an hour this year, though in some years as many as 80 meteors an hour can blaze across the sky.
As with most meteor showers, the best time to view them is after midnight through the pre-dawn hours.
See Uranus Tonight
HUDSON VALLEY, NY The gas-packed planet Uranus will be at its closest point to Earth Thursday night as it reaches opposition with the sun meaning it will be bathed in light and it should be visible to the naked eye. The ice giants blue-green color is unmistakable, and skywatchers should be able to see the planet throughout the month of October.
Uranus properly pronounced YOOR-a-nus is the seventh planet from the sun and the third largest in the solar system. It floats in front of the constellation Pisces the Fishes, and it hasnt been this high in the sky during opposition since February 1963.
Theres a new moon, so Uranus wont face competition in the same area of the sky. It reaches its peak at 1 a.m. local time.
Rest in peace, Tom Petty
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Gender: FemaleHometown: Atlanta, Georgia
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