The rather wide waning crescent moon makes 2011 a so-so year for watching the Orionid meteor shower. But there’s a consolation prize. The moon will show you the red planet Mars on the peak nights of the Orionids!
Orionid meteors are debris from famous Comet Halley
Meteors first. The Orionid meteor shower will probably rain down the greatest number of meteors for 2011 before dawn on Friday, October 21, or Saturday, October 22. On moon-free nights in a dark country sky, the Orionids typically peak at around 10 to 15 meteors per hour. The moonlit glare may reduce the numbers somewhat this year. If you’re game, the time to look for these fast-streaking Orionid meteors is between midnight (1 a.m. daylight saving time) and dawn on Friday and Saturday mornings. The best viewing is usually in the wee hours before dawn. That time holds true no matter what time zone you’re in.
Rising time for the moon and Mars in your sky
Look eastward before dawn tomorrow for the planet Mars, the bright star Regulus and the constellation Leo the Lion
Now Mars is near the moon. Mars looks like only a modestly bright ruddy star right now, and rises in the east during the wee hours after midnight. But Earth in its orbit is gaining on the red planet as we speak, so Mars will brighten in the months ahead. Mars will also rise earlier at night. By December 2011, you’ll see Mars climbing over the eastern horizon before midnight. In January 2012, it’ll be up by mid-evening, and even sooner on February 2012 evenings. By the time our planet Earth flies between this outer world and the sun in early March 2012, Mars will be out from dusk till dawn, shining some nine times brighter than it does at present.
Why is Mars sometimes bright and sometimes faint?
The chart at the top of this post shows the radiant point of the Orionid meteor shower. The shower’s radiant is in the northern part of the famous constellation Orion. If you do see some Orionid meteors tonight, and you trace their paths backward, you will find that they appear to radiate from this section of the sky.
You can find Orion fairly easily, even in the moonlit glare, because it’s the sky’s most distinctive constellation. Orion looks like a big rectangle, with its famous belt of three medium-bright stars marking the middle. These three stars of Orion’s Belt point downward to Sirius, the brightest star in the nighttime sky. Orion is up in the southeast around midnight now, and it’s high in the south before dawn. We’ll have much more to say about Orion in the months to come, because it’s definitely the showcase constellation of winter.
See Sirius, nighttime’s brightest star before dawn
Earth crosses the orbit of Halley’s Comet annually in October. Debris from this comet slams into the Earth’s upper atmosphere and vaporizes as its falls. The radiant shows you where orbits of the Earth and Comet Halley intersect. Before dawn on Friday and Saturday mornings will likely be the best time to look for these meteors, but the moonlit glare will probably somewhat obstruct this year’s Orionid meteor display. The moon and Mars, and the dazzling planet Jupiter — and Orion and Sirius — may be as much a highlight of the predawn sky as the Orionid meteors.
hope i can watch those showers, can’t wait to watch ‘em!
how will you watch? hope that it works out for you. take care.
this was very cool and i learned a lot!! thankx
B ]
Faith Hope Love Peace Happiness
I read that on Mar 3 2012 Mars will shine at -1.3 mag, that is it will be a bit fainter than Sirius, which sounds like really not much brilliance, as compared to its best oppositions when it is closer to the Sun and AFAIK it is capable of shining at as much as -3 mag, a brilliance similar to Jupiter’s these late October days approaching its own opposition the 28th… So is it true, will Mars be “only” -1.3 mag brilliant its next opposition? Will it be that brilliant only for one night and then become day bay day less and less brilliant pretty fast or will it last in the negative magnitude range for weeks or months maybe, after its opposition?
Bibi.
Yes, the opposition om March 3, 2012, will be the most distant Mars’ opposition since February. 12, 1995, and until Feb. 20, 2027. Even so, for Mars to shine nearly on par with Sirius, the brightest star of the nighttime sky, isn’t all that shabby. According to Starry Night, Mars will be at -0.61 magnitude on February 3, -1.22 on March 3 and -0.66 on April 3. So Mars will be exceptionally bright for a few months, not just one night!
Bruce
Location E Sussex U.K..Was hopin for a good night sleep… Not lookin likely…! :)
[...] While a waning moon may dampen a bit of this year’s drama, EarthSky says it will also help highlight planet Mars. [...]
Just saw a very bright meteorite at 8:39 CST in SE sky going straight down. Viewing rural central Iowa
just stepped outside for a cigarette and noticed mars in the sky. the stars seemed more vivid than usual in city light. came inside and found this website. was planning on going to sleep but looks like im gonna be staying awake for the shower. viewing from st louis missouri.
I noticed a bright, flickering, multi-colored star tonight to the left of Orion and to the Right of the moon. Not Jupiter. Can’t miss Jupiter. This is something different and I’m no expert in any sense of the word. Anyone know what this flickering star is? According to the Oct. 20 map, it’s right around the position of the radiant meteor shower except this star wasn’t moving so I don’t know if it’s related or not.
I just went outside to check again and I believe it’s Sirius. I got the position wrong. Is Sirius usually flickering and is it especially bright this time? I have seen Sirius before but never really notice it flicker or be super bright, even though I know it’s one of the brightest.
KJ,
That’s probably Sirius. Are you familiar with the three stars that make up Orion’s Belt? They point to Sirius.
Bruce
7:00am Oct 21, 2011 looking at the moon out @ 11:00 o’clock high. Is that Mars @ 4:00 o’clock in the dawn southern sky? Waiting for a part & then my telescope WIL be operational!!
lol ;-)
Barry
Barry,
Let’s make it simple: Mars was the closest star-like object to the moon on Oct. 21.
Bruce
on my way out now with what could be better lens’ for the task. lotsa cloud , but also very windy so may well be worth it(if I stick it or it clears for a bit.
its oct 22 1:48am, just went out & saw some meteors, dont know if i am seeing mars but some really bright stars there tonight.
[...] http://earthsky.org/tonight/radiant-point-for-orionid-meteor-shower [...]