Meteors Produced by Halley's Comet to Streak Above New York State

An annual meteor shower known for sometimes producing bright fireballs, is set to peak above the skies of New York state in October.

As previously mentioned, it is an active time of year for meteor showers and other celestial events for everyone from New York City, to the Hudson Valley, to Buffalo and beyond to gaze upon.

This will continue into the coming weeks, as the next meteor shower is brought to us by the remains of history's most well-known comet. And while this comet won't be seen again on Earth until 2061, the billions of particles and debris left behind should provide everyone with quite a display.

New York Will See its Next Meteor Shower in Late October

Earth Sky is reporting that the Orionid meteor shower will peak the morning of October 22, right after midnight and into the "wee hours of the morning".

The Orionids are actually the leftovers from Halley’s Comet (1P/Halley), which orbits the Sun every 76 years, The Orionids occur when the Earth moves through the path of dust and debris that were expelled from the comet’s nucleus, says Earth Sky.

You'll have to pay attention, as the meteors move very fast, though they also leave a long-lasting tail once they've completely burnt up in the Earth's atmosphere. NASA calls the Orionids "one of the most beautiful showers of the year".

Two Meteor Showers

Earth Sky goes on to say that Halley's Comet actually gives us Earthlings two meteor showers a year. The Orionids are produced every late October from Halley’s debris on its "inbound leg".

But everyone in New York and worldwide also gets to enjoy another show, going the opposite direction in early May. You may remember the Eta Aquariids meteor shower?