Earth will pass through a stream of debris from Halley's Comet beginning this Monday, which means Alexandria skywatchers will get to see the annual Orionids meteor shower.
The meteor shower will build throughout the week and peak the night of Oct. 20.
If you live on a well-lit area, such as right along Mount Vernon Avenue, you may want to go someplace a little bit darker.
The field next to George Washington Middle School would be a good place to catch the shower, or perhaps the church parking lot across Russell Road from Alexandria Country Day School.
Space.com has these viewing tips:
Get as far away from city and other artificial lights as possible. Meteor showers are best viewed in really dark skies. Try to keep the moon out of your field of vision, too.
This year, the moon will be setting at approximately midnight Saturday night into Sunday, which will keep the sky darkened enough that—barring cloud cover—you should be able to see up to 15 meteors per hour.
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 (aside from the sun).
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.
Do you know of a great place to view the meteor shower? Tell us in the comments section!
