An event for astronomy lovers and stargazers. This October brings two meteor shower events that will be visible from parts in Vancouver. The first meteor shower won’t be much of a show, but still something you can enjoy. The second meteor shower to take place will be more viable as the meteors will leave visible gas trails.
The first of the two showers, the Draconid meteor shower, peaks on Oct. 8. According to specialist, the shower usually only produces a few meteors per hour, but this year there will be an increase in the number of meteors that could be seen. And while the shower, could reach rates as high as 40-50 per hour, a full moon will wash out all but the brightest.
Luckily, the second meteor shower to hit during the month of October will be the Orionid meteor shower, set to peak on the night of Oct. 22 – 23, will be visible anywhere from earth and can be seen anywhere across the sky. Further, Orionid meteors fly each year between about October 2 to November 7, so the days leading up to the peak and after will offer good viewing opportunities.
The particles in the Orionid shower are associated with Halley’s Comet. According to Space.com, stargazers may find the shape of Orion the Hunter to locate the shower’s point of origin, near Orion’s sword, slightly north of his left shoulder.
If you find the shape of Orion the Hunter, the meteor shower’s radiant (or point of origin) will be near Orion’s sword, slightly north of his left shoulder. However, they advise stargazers not to stare straight at that spot because meteors close to it have short tails and are harder to see. As such, you may want to look away from the constellation entirely.
Stargazers should definitely travel as far away from city lights as possible in order to avoid light pollution that will obscure the clarity of heavenly bodies. While this works best in more remote places, anywhere that has a higher elevation will also provide more ideal viewing conditions.