Orionid Meteor Shower Visible In Singapore This October 2024

The Orionid meteor shower is set to light the night sky over Singapore from 20-21 October! Known for its beauty and brightness, this annual meteor shower typically peaks in mid-October.

Those keen to catch the meteor shower should look for a wide-open viewing area with minimal light pollution between midnight to dawn on 20-21 October. Weather permitting, keen observers can simply gaze skyward for a view of spectacular “shooting stars” across the entire sky with their naked eyes.

Meteor Shower - Pixabay Image credit: Pixabay

In anticipation of this phenomenon, Science Centre Observatory has put some FAQs, to address various questions on the phenomenon and share more about its origins.

1. What are meteors and where do they come from?

Meteors are rocks that enter Earth’s atmosphere at speeds that causes the light around them to glow and burn up. These are the streaks of light that one may see going across the sky in matter of seconds. They are also often referred to as “shooting stars”.

Meteors are within our solar system. They can originate from various sources – such as comets, asteroids, and other planets.

2. What is the difference between a meteor, a meteorite, and a meteoroid?

When a part of an asteroid breaks off and it is still in space, it becomes a meteoroid. When the meteoroid is in Earth’s atmosphere, it becomes a meteor.

If a part of the meteor survives its journey through the Earth’s atmosphere and lands on the Earth’s surface, it is called a meteorite.

3. What is a meteor shower and how often do they occur?

A meteor shower is a celestial event in which a number of meteors are observed to radiate, or come from, from one point in the night sky. Meteor showers are formed when the Earth travels through a cloud of interplanetary debris left behind from the tail of a comet or asteroid that has thrown out large amounts of materials.

While the Earth orbits the Sun and crosses into these dust streams or debris trails, the materials collide into Earth’s atmosphere and burn up, leaving a streak in the sky which is what we see as meteors.

Earth goes through these dust streaks every year, so we can predict when these meteor showers happen on an annual basis.

Orionid Meteor Shower taking place this October

1. What are the Orionids meteor shower?

The Orionid meteor shower is produced when Earth encounters debris left behind from Comet 1P/Halley, also known as Halley’s Comet. The comet debris heat up as they enter Earth’s atmosphere, creating spectacular “shooting stars” that form the meteor shower. The Orionids typically peak during mid-October every year and are considered one of the most beautiful showers of the year.

2. Why is this meteor shower called Orionids?

Meteors in annual showers are named after the location in the sky where they seem to originate. For instance, the Orionids are named for their radiant point near the well-known constellation Orion the Hunter.

3. When will the Orionid meteor shower take place?

The Orionid meteor shower is active between 26 September to 22 November. The Orionids will peak between 20 to 21 October and are best viewed between midnight and dawn, specifically after 2am as the radiant point of the Orion constellation will be higher, making it ideal for viewing the meteors.

4. How often does the Orionid meteor shower take place?

The Orionids are an annual meteor shower that peaks during mid-October every year.

5. What can we expect to see during the Orionid meteor shower?

Meteors can leave glowing trails in their wake which can last for up to a few minutes. Weather permitting, viewers can look forward to seeing 10 to 20 Orionids per hour at their peak, and potential fireballs from faster meteors

6. How can I get the best view of this occurrence in Singapore?

The Orionids will appear across the entire sky, hence keen observers should seek a wide-open viewing area between midnight and dawn.

Singapore’s light pollution and frequent cloud cover can also affect visibility of this occurrence. As such, observers should seek darker locations with a clear, unobstructed view of the sky such as parks, beaches, reservoirs, or open spaces away from city lights. They should also check the weather forecast for clear skies. Observers should also note that the moon would be rather bright and right next to the Orion constellation between 20 – 22nd October, making the viewing of the meteor shower more difficult.

7. Is any special equipment required to view this?

No special equipment is required to view this meteor shower as they can be seen with the naked eye. Their bright and fast streaks make telescopes and binoculars unnecessary.

Contributed by Science Centre Observatory.

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