Community Corner

Orionid Meteor Shower Peak 2013: Forecast Good, Moon Bad

Weather's supposed to be good, but the pesky bright moon could get in the way.

There's good news and bad news for Fairfax when it comes to the dates for the Orionid meteor shower 2013 peak.

The good news: The forecast for Fairfax for Sunday and Monday, when the Orionid meteor shower peaks, is great. Clear skies and no rain.

Find out what's happening in Fairfax Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The bad news: The moon will be bright, which can obscure many of the Orionids meteors in what is typically one of the busier showers of the year.

Already, the meteor shower is underway, just not with the same numbers as the peak, and it'll continue until about Nov. 7.

Find out what's happening in Fairfax Citywith free, real-time updates from Patch.

From NASA on the Orionids:

The Orionids, which peak during mid-October each year, are considered to be one of the most beautiful showers of the year. Orionid meteors are known for their brightness and for their speed. These meteors are fast -- they travel at about 148,000 mph (66 km/s) into the Earth's atmosphere. Fast meteors can leave glowing "trains" (incandescent bits of debris in the wake of the meteor) that last for several seconds to minutes. Fast meteors can also sometimes become fireballs: Look for prolonged explosions of light when viewing the Orionid meteor shower.

Remnants from this shower, as well as the Eta Aquarids in May, come from Halley's Comet

Fast Facts on the Orionids from Earthsky.org:

Comet of Origin: 1P/Halley
Radiant: Just to the north of constellation Orion's bright star Betelgeuse
Active: 2 Oct. - 7 Nov. 2013
Peak Activity: 20-21 Oct. 2013
Peak Activity Meteor Count: Approximately 20 meteors per hour in moonless skies.
Meteor Velocity: 66 km (41 miles) per second

Do you like to try and catch celestial events such as this? Any good tips for those in the Fairfax area? Tell us in the comments below.

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