The Orionid meteor shower is peaking! The view won't be great for all of the Ohio Valley tonight but there's still plenty of time to see a shooting star. The show is expected to peak in the hours before dawn Wednesday morning, October 21. Around 15 meteors per hour will be possible during peak activity! The meteors we see are dust from Comet Halley. That dust is made of rock and ice that burn up when they enter Earth's atmosphere. The meteors in this shower sometimes have long tails, which makes their appearance distinct.
Look east before dawn to find the constellation Orion. That's where it looks like the meteors originate from. You can actually look any direction in the sky to be able to glimpse a shooting star because these meteors spread out all across the sky, though NASA recommends lying on your back with your feet pointed toward the southeast for the best chance to see an Orionid meteor. Give your eyes about 20 minutes to adjust to the darkness away from all lights (including cities), then look for Orionid meteors in the hours before dawn.
Unfortunately the weather won't cooperate for all of you tonight. The good news is this meteor shower is actually active October 2 through November 7! A minor disturbance in central Indiana overnight will bring clouds to our northern communities that will block your view of the Orionid meteor shower. However, many of you through central and southern Kentucky will see a sky that is more clear of clouds. That should give you a good chance to look for shooting stars tonight!
