Orionid Meteor Shower Tonight - How to Watch:
According to the Nepal Astronomical Society, the activity of mirage meteor shower caused by the comet of Halley is seen tonight. This comet causes two meteor showers a year. Due to the dust particles released by Halley's comet as it orbits the Sun, meteor showers like 'Eta Aquarius' occur in May each year and 'Orionid' in October.
As the source of today's meteor shower appears to be in the Orion constellation, it has been named Orionid Meteor Shower, said Suresh Bhattarai, president of the society. The meteor shower will be active from October 2 to November 7.
The most active meteor showers will be visible from 10:45 pm local time on October 20 until 5:45 am on October 21. The best time to watch a meteor shower is after midnight. It is estimated that up to 15 meteors are seen per hour during heavy meteor showers. As the speed of the meteor shower is up to 67 km per second, such a scene can be seen due to friction in the atmosphere over 70 km, he said.
What is a meteor shower: As the comet orbits the Sun, it releases dust particles and rocks into its orbit as it approaches the Sun. As the Earth orbits the Sun, as it approaches the orbit of the comet, dust particles and rocks collide rapidly into the Earth's atmosphere. That is why it is called a meteor shower, said the society. Meteor showers are also called 'falling stars' in Nepali vernacular.
What is Halley's comet: The comet was discovered on the night of Christmas 1758 by British astronomer Edmund Halley while studying Newton's gravitational field in the solar system. This comet orbits the sun every 75 years. This comet, which was seen in 1986, is now expected to be seen in 2061, said Chairman Bhattarai.
How Meteor Showers are Viewed: No telescope is needed to see the meteor shower. Meteor showers can be seen with the naked eye. It takes patience to see a meteor shower. You have to choose the open sky when you see meteor showers. For this, you can go to the roof of the house or any open space in front of the house. Since it is cold at night in both places, it is necessary to wear warm clothes. When it comes to getting out of the house, it is also a matter of safety. Society has called for meteor showers to avoid cold and other kinds of hazards.
