Leftovers From of Halley’s Comet To be Seen Above the Skies of New York State

This is a great time of year for sky watchers and astronomy buffs. The month of October will bring not one, but two annual meteor showers to the night skies.

The second of which is made up of the remains of history's most famous comet, which has already begun its long journey back towards Earth. However, it will not arrive until 2061.

It was previously reported that the Draconids meteor shower will peak October 8. This is not one of the year's better showers, though Earth Sky says there have been random years that spectacular meteor storms end up producing hundreds to thousands of meteors an hour.

Leftovers From of Halley's Comet to be Seen Above the Skies of New York State

The American Meteor Society reports that Orionids meteor shower began October 2 and will continue until November. 12. However, the event will peak October 22 and 23, according to astronomers.

See Also: New York State Resident Reports Large Unidentified "Zig Zagging" Object

The Orionids are the leftovers and remains 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. 

Make sure to look closely, 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".

The AMC says that a waning crescent moon will rise near dawn and will not affect the shower at all.