Halley’s Comet sends stunning ‘shower of fireballs’ overhead tonight

SKYGAZERS are in for a treat this week as a meteor shower with a special surprise is set to blast through the skies.

Dust from the famous Halley’s Comet will be part of the display, which is a great chance to see a few shooting stars.

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It coincides each year with the Orionid Meteor Shower, running through the latter part of October.

The event is set to peak on October 21, with up to 25 meteors per hour visible, as long as the weather behaves.

Observers in the UK and the US can get a good glimpse into October 22 as well.

And they should be visible with the naked eye, meaning no need to get hold of some binoculars.

“Hunting for meteors, like the rest of astronomy, is a waiting game, so it’s best to bring a comfy chair to sit on and to wrap up warm as you could be outside for a while,” the Royal Observatory in Greenwich warned.

“They can be seen with the naked eye so there’s no need for binoculars or a telescope, though you will need to allow your eyes to adjust to the dark.

“The showers will continue at a reduced rate for a few days either side of the Maximum, so if the Moon obscures the peak, you may still be able to catch a few throughout October.”

Unfortunately we won’t get to see the best of Halley’s Comet as that only makes a close Earth passing once every 75 years or so.

The next chance of seeing it won’t be until July 2061.

What is Halley’s comet?

Dubbed ‘the most famous comet’, Halley’s Comet was named after English astronomer, Edmond Halley, who examined reports of comets approaching Earth in 1531, 1607 and 1682.

He concluded that these three comets were actually the same comet returning over and over again, and predicted the comet would come again in 1758.

Halley didn’t live to see the comet’s return, but his discovery led to the comet being named after him.

The comet is known as a ‘periodic’ comet which means it has an orbital time cycle of less than 200 years.

It returns to Earth’s vicinity about every 75 years, making it possible for a human to see it twice in their lifetime.

The last time it was here was in 1986, and it is projected to return in 2061.

What does it have to do with the Orionid Meteor shower?

The Orionid meteor shower is a scientific phenomenon which occurs every October.

The Met Office says the Orionids are a remnant of Comet Halley and at its peak you could see up to 20 shooting stars per hour.

Orionid meteors are known to travel at around 41 miles per second, and with clear, dark skies you will have a good chance of spotting one with its persistent, long trail.

The meteor shower is named as such because it appears to radiate from the constellation Orion, which is one of the most visible and recognisable in the sky throughout the world.

However, you don’t need to stare at Orion to spot the meteors as they can actually appear all over the sky.

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