Orionids Peak This Weekend October 20, 2012 2 Comments Everyone
know that the most famous comet is Comet Halley. Once every 76
years or so, Hally visits the inner Solar System. Sometimes is
can be quite spectacular (such as in 1910), other times not so
much (as in 1986). For those that missed Halley in ’86, it will
be back again in 2061. If you don’t want to wait that long,
there is a way to see pieces of Halley every year. Dust released
by Halley over the past few thousand years produce meteor
showers in early May (the η-Aquariids) and mid-October (the
Orionids). Computer simulations of the past movements of Halley
and its dust suggest that many of this year’s Orionid meteors
were released by Halley between 1265 BC and 910 BC (for some
points of reference, the Trojan War took place around 1200 BC
and King David ruled around 1000 BC). This year the Orionids are
forecast to peak tonight (Oct 20/21) though this shower usually
produces high rates for a few days on either side of its peak
time. According to the L