Orionids Meteor Shower 2012: Where to Watch in Charlestown
Shooting stars will be flying early in the morning in Charlestown. The Orionids meteor shower promises to be a show worth watching.
The offspring of Halley's Comet are about to put on quite a show in the skies of Charlestown.
Earth will pass through a stream of debris from Halley's Comet beginning Oct. 15, which will give us the benefit of the annual Orionids meteor shower—though you probably won't see much until a bit later.
LET US KNOW: Where would be the best place to watch this shower in Charlestown?
The shower should be at its peak the night of Saturday, Oct. 20, until just before dawn on Oct. 21. This year, the moon will be setting at approximately midnight, which will keep the sky darkened enough that—barring cloud cover—you should be able to see up to 15 meteors per hour.
What makes this shower so cool? First of all, c'mon—it's a show of shooting stars.
Also, though, there's no question about where to look for this one. Meteor showers get their names from the constellations in the sky where they can be spotted. And what's easier to spot than Orion the Hunter?
The stars tend to shoot from Orion's club, pierce Taurus the Bull, the Gemini twins, Leo the Lion and finally, Canis Major, home of Sirius, the brightest star we can see—well, aside from the sun.
There's also something else that's special about this show: With the second-fastest entry velocity of all the annual meteor showers, meteors from the Orionids produce yellow and green colors and occasionally produce an odd fireball.
To make sure you get the best view possible, remember to check the weather forecast and conditions before you head outside to watch.
Dan
11:31 am on Sunday, October 14, 2012
The cities light pollution will also make it tough to see them here. Best to get away from the city and any overhead lights for the best viewing (large open field)
Nate Homan
12:03 am on Monday, October 15, 2012
Any suggestions?
Dan
8:49 am on Monday, October 15, 2012
Options:
You could take a boat out if the water is not to choppy just past the outer bay or go out to Acton/Concord area taking Rt2.
You could join one of the astronomy clubs as they have some good sites to view from and a friendly family activity the best one locally - Amateur Telescope Makers of Boston - www.atmob.org
You could join the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics in Cambridge Monthly Observatory Nights looking though a telescope - http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/events/mon.html
James "Gem" Coughlin
6:34 pm on Sunday, October 14, 2012
What's an Oreo noid? Are they good as regular Oreos?