Orionids 2006

The Astronomical event for this week is the peak of the Orionids Meteor shower.
The Predicted peak for this shower is this Saturday the 21st of Oct, late evening & early morning, when you can expect up to 40 meteors/hr.
The origin of the Meteors is the dusty debris left behind by the successive passages of that most famous of all comets "Halleys Comet".
This year, the predicted peak of the shower co-insides with the new moon, an ideal time for viewing !
It always pays to look the night before & after the predicted peak as predicting the peak is by no means a certainty.
It has been my experience that meteors from a shower come in "bursts" as the earths atmosphere colides with a patch of material.
The darker your observing area the better as some of the meteors can be faint.
So if you don't see anything in the first 10 minutes, relax ..... Sit back in a comfy chair or a mat on the ground ....and wait ...... who knows, you may see a "Fireball" !
Want to know more ?
Try these links
http://comets.amsmeteors.org/meteors/showers/orionidobs.html
http://www.imo.net/calendar/2006/fall