SC is getting a meteor shower from Halley’s Comet. Here’s the best time to watch
South Carolinians have the best chance to see a meteor shower created by the famous Halley’s Comet this week.
The Orionid meteor shower, active between Sept. 26 and Nov. 22, will peak on Friday and Saturday over the northern hemisphere, according to Space.com. The Orionid meteor shower is particularly unique, since it is produced when the Earth passes through the ice and dust left behind by Halley’s Comet, which famously returns to Earth’s vicinity once about every 76 years.
Viewers with clear skies can expect to see about 20 meteors per hour during peak nights. The Orionid meteors streak through the sky particularly fast — 41 miles per second — because Earth hits the Halley’s Comet particles almost head-on, Space.com states.
When and how to watch
According to NASA, the Orionids are viewable during the hours after midnight.
To get the best view of the meteors in South Carolina, find an area away from city or street lights. Lie flat on your back with your feet facing southeast. Look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible. In less than 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes should adapt enough so that you can see the meteors.
Where do meteors come from?
Meteors come from leftover comet particles and bits from broken asteroids. A meteor shower occurs when the Earth crosses the path of a comet and collides with those particles, which burn up in the atmosphere.
Halley’s Comet is considered by many to be the most famous comet, having been sighted for millennia, NASA states. The comet is named after Edmond Halley, who in 1705 discovered that three previous comets seemed to return every 76 years, indicating they were likely the same comet. The comet returned as Halley predicted and it was named after him in his honor.
