Keep an eye out for meteors from the constellation Orion this week. The Orionids’ claim to fame is that the specks of dust that create this meteor shower are from the famous Comet Halley. It returns to the inner solar system once every 75 years, leaving behind bits of cosmic dust that then burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere every year in October. The Earth actually passes through Halley’s dust twice. This creates the Eta Aquariid meteor shower in May and then the Orionids in October. Of the two, the Orionids is much better for us in the Northern Hemisphere. The Eta Aquariids are best viewed from the equator and Southern Hemisphere.
The Orionids are a solid reliable shower, and this year the moon phase is favorable. In its crescent phase the moon sets early, so bright moonlight will not interfere. Under dark skies and perfect viewing conditions, the Orionids can produce 15 to 30 meteors per hour. Much fewer will be visible near bright city and suburban lighting.
When is the best time to view these meteors? The Orionids are coming to their peak now. Look on Oct. 20, 21 and 22, with the morning of Oct. 21 as probably the best option. The best viewing time will be when the constellation Orion is above the horizon between midnight and dawn.
TAG, You’re It
This week is a historic moment for NASA’s OSIRIS-REx spacecraft. We featured this asteroid mission back in August. On Tuesday, Oct. 20, the spacecraft will descend to asteroid Bennu’s boulder-strewn surface, touch down for a few seconds and collect some of the asteroid’s rocks and dust.
NASA calls this maneuver a TAG (Touch-And-Go). This will bring the spacecraft down to a rocky area 52 feet wide in Bennu’s northern hemisphere, where the spacecraft’s robotic arm will attempt to grab a sample.
If this is not successful, the probe has enough fuel for two more attempts with the next opportunity in January 2021. Once it has collected enough material from Bennu, it will be placed in a small capsule that will be launched back to Earth in 2023. For more images, information and updates on the mission, visit asteroidmission.org.
The Moon Meets Jupiter And Saturn
On Thursday, Oct. 22, the moon, Jupiter and Saturn will gather in the southwest after sunset. The crescent moon will be roughly equidistance from both planets and will make a nice triangle in the sky. They set quickly, so look for them before 10 p.m.
Kevin D. Conod is the planetarium manager and astronomer at The Newark Museum of Art’s Dreyfuss Planetarium. For updates on the night sky, call the Newark Skyline at (973) 596-6529.
Note the PBS show NOVA will feature Osiris-Rex on Wednesday:
PREMIERES ON OCTOBER 21, 2020 AT 9PM ON PBS
Touching the Asteroid
Spacecraft OSIRIS-REx attempts to grab a piece of an asteroid to bring it back to Earth.