The radiant is the point in the sky from which the meteors appear to originate, and for the Orionids this is the constellation of Orion.
Orion rises in the east after midnight, just to the north of its red-tinged star Betelgeuse. To track down Orion, external, look out for a line of three bright stars, close together, known as Orion’s Belt.
The quality of the display is measured by how many meteors are visible every hour – known as the zenithal hourly rate. There could be around 15 meteors an hour during the peak of the Orionids around the 22 October travelling at speeds of 148,000mph (238,000km/h).
For the best viewing conditions, find a dark spot, away from city lights after midnight with an unobstructed wide, open sky.
Let your eyes adjust to the dark and look towards the constellation of Orion. You will not need binoculars or a telescope as the shower will be visible to the naked eye.
Leave a Reply