How to watch in California this year
Stargazers in the Bay Area will want to mark their calendars this week for a brilliant sky show associated with the famous Halley’s Comet.
The event, the annual Orionid meteor shower, will peak in the early hours of Friday, October 21. If the weather conditions are right and you’re willing to stay up very late (or get up very early), you’ll have a good chance of spotting some meteors zooming by.
The Orionids, so named because they appear to fall out of the mace of the Orion constellation, are the result of the dust trail left by the famous Halley’s Comet, which last passed through our area of the solar system in 1986 and won’t return until 2061, it said Ben Burress, staff astronomer at the Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland.
Earth crosses the orbit of the giant comet – which NASA says measures 9.6 miles by 5 miles – twice a year, and the crossing with its debris trail creates two meteor showers: the Eta Aquarids in May and the Orionids in mid to late October.
The debris from the comet hit our atmosphere at about 40 miles per second, according to Farmer’s Almanac, instantly turning it white.
“When the meteors enter Earth’s atmosphere at extremely high speeds, they are burned up in a flash, which is what we see as a meteor or ‘shooting star,'” Burress said.
The best time to watch
Peak activity for the Orionids on Friday will occur between 1 a.m. and dawn, Burress said, with visibility starting at 3 a.m.
“Under good visibility conditions, a meteor watcher can see between 10 and 20 meteors per hour,” he said.
Robert Lunsford, the American Meteor Society’s fireball reports coordinator, said we encountered some of these particles in the last few days of September, and the entire event lasts through November 22.
But the peak viewing window is narrow.
“We pass through the core of these particles on October 19-22, with the maximum occurring on October 21,” he wrote in an email.
So if you can’t attend on Friday or it’s too cloudy, this isn’t your only chance to see some shooting stars.
Prime viewing areas
The meteor shower will be visible “anywhere in the Bay Area,” Burress said, but as with most celestial events, the best vantage points are where the sky is darkest and clearest — that is, free of bright lights and overcast weather conditions.
Some stargazing sites Burress previously suggested to KQED are still good options, he said, including Tilden Park and Sibley Volcanic Preserve in the East Bay, Briones Regional Park and Mount Diablo State Park further east, the Santa Cruz Mountains in the South Bay and Point Reyes National Seashore and Bodega Bay further north.
“The more stars you can see, the more meteors will be visible, so we suggest that anyone who wants to see this display should watch it from rural locations away from the city lights,” Lunsford said. “The brighter meteors are visible from urban areas, but only a small fraction of the total activity is visible from such areas.”
He said these meteors would be visible anywhere you can see the Orion constellation.
Be sure to check the weather forecast ahead of time, though, especially given the unusual fog the Bay Area has been seeing lately. The best conditions for observation are clear skies and low humidity, Lunsford said. If it’s cloudy, you’re out of luck, and even partly cloudy skies will only see the brightest meteors.
While the weather forecast will be more certain closer to Friday’s event, Chronicle newsroom meteorologist Gerry Díaz said that “prospects are skewed in favor of overcast skies that will cover the meteor shower for most of the San Francisco Peninsula, North Bay and South Bay handicapped”. the East Bay has the best viewing opportunities.
He added that some weather models are pointing to rain during this time, which would reduce the chance of seeing the meteor shower – but there’s “a lot of wiggle room at the moment.”
Pack up and be patient
What to look for, the meteors appear to be streaking outward from the constellation of Orion, which rises in the east after midnight and slowly moves southeast.
“Most people are familiar with Orion’s belt. So if you can spot it and the dazzling display of stars that make up the larger constellation, you’re looking in the right direction,” Burress said.
“Meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, but focusing your attention on Orion and enjoying the view of the entire sky gives you the best chance of seeing them.”
Lunsford suggests looking south, “about halfway up the sky,” which offers most activity. If this view is blocked or has bright lights, look where it is darkest.
Burress said Orionids tend to be fast meteors, hitting Earth’s atmosphere at 148,000 miles per hour. They can be bright and fast, sometimes leaving a trail that can last seconds to minutes, he added.
To increase your chances of seeing meteors, experts recommend giving your eyes time to adjust to the darkness, which Burress says can take at least 10 minutes. Also, be sure to watch for as long as possible — at least an hour, Burress said.
“The longer you watch, the better chance you’ll see one of those periods of constant activity,” Lunsford said.
Be sure to plan for the weather and pack if necessary.
“Don’t stand and look for meteors,” Lunsford said. “Find a comfortable lounge chair and snuggle up in the cool autumn air.”
Also, stay safe and be aware of your surroundings.
“Just seeing a meteor is a thrill, and while you’ll be hungry to see more, that one reward is worth the effort,” Burress said.
Kellie Hwang is a contributor to the San Francisco Chronicle. Email: [email protected] Twitter: @KellieHwang