You’ll have the chance to ‘catch a shooting star’ (or two) this week - if the skies stay clear.
And this week there will be another great reason to head out in the hours of darkness and look to the heavens - the annual Orionid Meteor Shower.
It’s predicted that as many as 20 meteors - or shooting stars - could be visible in the night sky at the peak of this stellar phenomenon.
Here’s everything you need to know.
When is the Orionid meteor shower?
The Orionid meteor shower takes place every year in October and early November.
This year they reached their peak in the early hours of Thursday, October 22.
If the Scottish weather doesn’t play ball then there will still be a chance to catch a few shooting stars until November 7.
What is a shooting star?
A shooting star is simply what happens when a piece of matter, known as a meteor, burns up as it enters the Earth’s atmosphere, leaving a bright trail behind it. Despite the name, they have nothing in common with the other stars in the night sky.
What is a meteor shower?
Meteors are created when a meteoroid (small space rock) enters the Earth’s upper atmosphere, which causes it to quickly heat up due to friction from the air.
This heat causes the gases around the rock to glow brightly, causing it to become a meteor which can be seen from Earth.
When a number are seen within a short period of time it is classed as a meteor shower, usually caused by the Earth passing through the stream of dust left behind by a comet.
The vast majority of meteors burn up completely in the Earth’s atmosphere and are no bigger than a grain of rice.
Occasionally far larger meteoroid enter the atmosphere – usually huge pieces of rock that have broken off a steroid – and land on the surface of the Earth.
These are called meteorites and the largest ever recorded is called Hoba, weighing in at a hefty 60 tonnes.
It is thought to have landed in Namibia around 80,000 years ago, and can still be seen in the exact spot it landed all those years ago.
The most dramatic meteor showers see thousands of shooting stars streak across the night sky every hour.
What causes the Orionid meteor shower?
The Orionids are created by Halley’s Comet which is visible in the sky roughly every 75 years and is known as a harbringer of doom and misfortune - most famously appearing in 1066 during the Norman conquest of England and immortalised in the Bayeux Tapestry. Other historic events taking place at the same time as the comet’s arrival include the Roman destruction of Jerusalem in 66 CE and the 1222 invasion of Europe by Genghis Khan.
When the comet passes Earth it leaves a stream of debris which the planet passes through once a year, with the dust hitting the atmosphere at 41 miles per second, causing it to glow brights and create the meteor shower.
Why are they called the Orionids?
They get their name as the shooting stars generated appear to come from the constellation of Orion - easy to see in the southern sky by the three bright stars of Orion’s Belt.
Where is the best place to watch the Orionid meteor shower?
As with most celestial events you want to be somewhere away from light pollution with a clear view of the entire (crucially cloudless) sky.
Resist the temptation to look at your phone, as this stops your eyes adjusting to the dark.
Where in the sky will the meteors appear in the Orionid shower?
The Lyrids radiate from the southern constellation Orion, but don’t focus your search there as the shotting stars could appear across the sky.
Just make sure you have a clear view of as much of the night sky as possible.
What is the best time to spot the Orionid Meteor Shower?
As ever, the Scottish weather will be the biggest challenge, but it’s not all bad news. While Wednesday evening seems to be a bit of a washout, gaps in the clouds are expected just after midnight with a chance of clearer skies in the wee small hours. So, if you’re keen to see the Orionids then it might be worth staying up.
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