The Harvest Moon goes dark today at 8:25am. So, tonight there will be no moonlight to wash out the Orionid Meteor Shower which hit its peak intensity at 2am this morning but will still be going strong until the 23rd. You may still be able to see these meteors as late as the 26th.
This is an early morning shower, with 15-20 meteors an hour and best viewing time between midnight and dawn. So you do have to sacrifice a bit of sleep (unless you’re menopausal, in which case you will undoubtedly be awake anyway). But it’s worth it. This shower produces magnificent fireballs. This space junk, leftover from Halley’s Comet, is moving very fast; so when it hits our atmosphere it doesn’t just glow, it explodes.
Get up around 2am and look to the south. The radiant on this shower is the well-known constellation, Orion. So it’s fairly easy to find the center of this light display. No need for binoculars, unless you want to look at Venus (very bright, low in the eastern sky) or Jupiter (high in the sky to the south, same part of the sky as Orion).
Meteor shower gazing is a cold hobby. Even in the summer, 2am is cold. So bundle up. Maybe brew a warm beverage to keep the hands warm. Definitely wear a hat. If you have them, a lounge chair (to rest your head while gazing up) and a blanket (obviously) are recommended stargazing equipment. It’s also nice to share the time with a friend… though I like watching the skies by myself. Because I’m just weird like that…
Here in Vermont, it will be raining and about 45°F. So I think we’re going to miss the Orionid show this year. I would be sad about that except… IT’S RAINING!!!
Not gonna say the drought is ended, but we do seem to be turning a corner. Now, if we can just hold off the freeze long enough to let some of this moisture seep into the soil and recharge some wells…
©Elizabeth Anker 2025
By My Solitary Hearth 