The Orionids typically produce about 20 to 25 meteors per hour during their peak and are known to be especially bright—many Orionids are fireball meteors. Like the Eta Aquariids, the Orionids are also debris left behind by Halley's Comet.
The Orionids appear to radiate from the constellation Orion, which rises around 11pm local time and is highest in the sky just before dawn.
The new moon falls on the night of October 21–22, and during the week around it, the moon will set before midnight, so you'll have perfect viewing conditions to see this meteor shower.
Leonids (November-December)
According to the American Meteor Society, the Leonids are active from about November 3 to December 2. They have sharp peaks, producing the most meteors overnight from November 16 to November 17. However, , other organizations predict that this shower will peak from November 17 to November 18. During the peak of the Leonids, you can expect to see about 15 meteors per hour under dark skies.
Although the Leonids produce fewer meteors than many other major meteor showers they are known for creating fast-moving, bright fireball meteors.
The Leonids peak just before the new moon—on the morning of November 18, the moon will be full 6 percent are illuminated and in the eastern United States will not increase until approx 5 am on November 17, so you'll have plenty of time to see this meteor shower in perfect viewing conditions.
The radiant of the Leonids is the constellation Leo, which rises around midnight local time and is highest in the sky at dawn.
Geminids (December)
The Geminids are active from about December 4 to December 17, peaking overnight from December 13 to December 14. They have a sharp peak so the night of the 13th is the best time to watch the sky.
The Geminids are the most spectacular meteor shower of the year: In addition to having up to 120 or even 150 meteors per hour at its peak, this shower is also the brightest and most colorful of the year. year.
Geminids are bright, slow-moving meteors that typically have a yellow tint, but they can come in many other colors, including green, blue, white, red, or orange. And unlike most meteorites, which are created by cometary debris, the Geminids are the remnants of an asteroid.
The night the Geminids peak, their radiant constellation, Gemini, will be above the horizon all night and will reach its highest point around 2 a.m. local time, so meteors will appear close to like all night.
That same night, the moon will be at approx 32 percent are illuminated and will increase around 1:30 am in the eastern United States, so if you watch this shower shortly after midnight, moonlight won't affect your viewing experience.
Ursids (December)
The Ursids are active around December 17 to December 26, peaking in the early morning of December 22. This shower is less active than other meteor showers, typically producing about 10 meteors per day. hour; however, viewing conditions will be perfect for sky gazing. The moon will set around 6 p.m. in the Eastern United States on the 21st, so there will be no moonlight to interfere with this meteor shower.
Although the Ursids usually produce the most meteors just before dawn, when they shine, the Ursids (or Ursids), highest in the sky, you'll be able to see the meteors all night long during their peak. of this shower. In northern latitudes, the radiation of the Ursids stays above the horizon throughout the night.