October's skies offer an unusually rich display. According to the article, at least seven separate meteor showers are active during the month. Most are minor, but one stands out and deserves a place on skywatchers' calendars.
The Orionids are expected to peak on the night of Wednesday 21 October, with a maximum rate of around 15 shooting stars an hour. The article describes them as one of the year's most active meteor showers.
They are also among the easiest to spot. The meteors appear to come from the region of the constellation Orion, and even children can recognise the three bright stars that form Orion's Belt. The shower takes its name from the constellation Orion.
Orion will be in the eastern sky on the night of the peak. The main drawback is that the Moon will be about three quarters illuminated, and its light may limit the number of visible meteors.
For darker skies, the article suggests Saturday 10 October. That night, the new moon coincides with the peak of the Southern Taurids meteor shower. Despite its name, this stream of comet debris is easily visible in the northern hemisphere.
The Southern Taurids can produce up to one shooting star every ten minutes. That may not sound impressive, but it is roughly twice what you can see from four other showers that also peak in October: the Camelopardalids, Delta Aurigids, ε-Geminids and Leonis Minorids.
Together, these displays give sky enthusiasts a reason to spend time under the stars with a hot drink, especially when there is no moonlight.
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