By Dillon Shelley
EACH year, the Earth intersects with Halley’s Comet trail twice, with the second encounter giving birth to the Orionids meteor shower. The Orionids typically produce meteors at a rate of about 20 per hour at their peak, and these are notably swift and luminous. The annual shower, which Goulburn Valley residents are perfectly situated to view, is a cosmophile’s delight due to the fragments of Halley’s comet it contains, a celestial body that graces us every 76 years.
In 2023, the Orionids are set to shower down their greatest number of meteors on the moonless morning of October 22, with the preceding morning also promising a worthwhile spectacle. The shower, which began on September 26 and runs through to November 22, peaks on October 22. Under ideal conditions, expect to see 10 to 20 meteors per hour, with some leaving persistent trails and occasionally producing bright fireballs.
The Orionids originate from Halley’s Comet, which orbits the sun every 76 years. Each year, we intercept this path in late October, experiencing a shower of the dust particles expelled from the comet’s nucleus. So, this October, get ready to witness pieces of this famous comet streaking across the skies of the Goulburn Valley.
