An Orionid meteor streaking away from the constellation Orion early in the morning on October 21, 2017 – Jersey Shore, New Jersey – via John Entwistle Photography.Steve Scanlon Photography wrote on October 21: “Waking up early pays off. I caught this Orionid meteor over Fair Haven Fields this morning. Fair Haven, New Jersey.”April Singer Photography in New Mexico wrote on October 21: “Shooting from my back deck, the Milky Way and an Orionid meteor made my night. Saw quite a few meteors in a short period of time. Going out to watch for awhile longer … “Composite image of meteors seen on the morning of October 21, 2017 from Simon Lee Waldram of Fuerteshoot in Spain.
Orionid meteor – October 21, 2017 – Smiths Falls, Ontario, Canada via Fiona M.Donnelly.Jan Gensler Fotografie in Germany wrote on October 21, 2017: “Last night I had fun composing this picture in the Orionid-night. Dark-sky-park Rhön in the middle of Germany.”Laroslav Kourzenkov in Halifax, Nova Scotia caught this meteor Saturday morning.Steve Shubert in Chester, Virginia caught this meteor Saturday morning and wrote: “Orionid meteor with ionized trail … Residual lasted for almost 2 minutes!”Orionid fireball! Eliot Herman in Tucson wrote: “My grandson likes to say I want the big one ! Well, grandpa, too, especially for meteors. You will see this one is a fireball, out of the Orionid radiant, beautiful color, early in the evening at 11:14 pm just as the radiant is rising.” Eliot has also been making all-sky movies of meteors, by capturing still images all night long. Click any movie at this page, to see the entire night in about a minute and half.Orionid meteor shower, in Yuen Long, Hong Kong, from Matthew Chin.Neeti Kumthekar wrote on October 21: “Wished upon a star at predawn today!!”A bright Orionid meteor burns across the sky as the Milky Way looms over Sachuest Point National Wildlife Refuge iin Middletown, Rhode Island. Photo by Mike Cohea.Karl Diefenderfer caught this meteor over Lakewood, Pennsylvania on the evening of October 20, 2017. He wrote: “As twilight faded last night, the Milky Way and meteors came into view … I’m accustomed to seeing meteors having a taper to them when photographed. I enlarged this one to make sure there weren’t any lights that commercial aircraft employ. I do remember this image, though, as it happened because I was thrilled to capture a bright trail. I was on the phone at the time and said some colorful words of joy … “
Bottom line: Photos from the 2017 Orionid meteor shower.
Deborah Byrd (asteroid 3505 Byrd) helps edit EarthSky.org and is a frequent host of EarthSky videos. Deborah created the EarthSky radio series in 1991 and founded EarthSky.org in 1994. Prior to that, she had worked for the University of Texas McDonald Observatory since 1976, and created and produced their Star Date radio series. She has won a galaxy of awards from the broadcasting and science communities, including having an asteroid named in her honor in 1990, a Public Service Award from the National Science Board in 2003, and the Education Prize from the American Astronomical Society in 2020. A science communicator and educator since 1976, Byrd believes in science as a force for good in the world and a vital tool for the 21st century. "Being an EarthSky editor is like hosting a big global party for cool nature-lovers," she says.
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