Meet the November Orionid Meteor Shower
If you ever wondered not only when to observe a meteor shower but also where it comes from, what it consists of, and what is beyond the Earth’s atmosphere, this article is for you. We've also prepared a special offer for you, don't miss it!
When to observe the November Orionids
The meteor shower that you can watch for this week is the November Orionid meteor shower. It’s active from November 13 to December 6, producing a maximum meteor rate around November 28. Even at the peak of its activity, the maximum amount of meteors you can see from the Northern Hemisphere is 3 per hour. From the Southern Hemisphere, expect 2 meteors per hour with clear sky conditions.
November Orionids’ radiant point is located on the Taurus/Orion border, 9 degrees north of the 2nd magnitude star known as Bellatrix. Watch for this meteor shower after midnight, when its radiant point lies highest above the horizon. Its meteors will plow into the Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of 43 miles per second. Considering this relatively low speed, most likely, there won’t be any bright fireballs.
There are different opinions regarding the November Orionids parent body. Some sources claim that it’s unknown because it’s already disintegrated. According to other studies, this meteor shower originated from a large comet — C/1917 F1 (Mellish). Cosmic debris of this comet called meteoroids are causing the November Orionid meteor shower.
Meteoroids are the smallest members of the Solar System, ranging in size from large fragments of asteroids or comets to extremely small micrometeoroids. Whenever a meteoroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere, it will create a brief flash of moving light in the sky, called a meteor.
Besides meteoroids, there are asteroids, comets, moons, and planets – and all of these objects are kept in their orbits by the gravity of the Sun. If you are interested in astronomy, you should know how our Solar System works to understand where all those spectacular and exciting events come from.
How to explore the Solar System?
To encourage you to explore the Solar System, we prepared a special offer on one of our most spectacular apps — Solar Walk 2. From November 27 to 30, you can buy Solar Walk 2 with up to 70% discount!
Solar Walk 2 will become your pocket planetarium. With the help of this application, you can effortlessly explore planets, asteroids, comets, and spacecraft in real-time. It’s a great app for adults and kids, amateur astronomers and newcomers, for educational and entertainment purposes.
It’s also easy and intuitive to use. When you open Solar Walk 2, you’ll see an outstanding 3D model of our Solar System. The app will automatically lead you through space to the Sun — the massive star in the center of the Solar System. To learn more about this fiery star, tap on the “i” icon in the upper-right corner of your screen. The app will show you an infographic, main information, missions, events related to this object, and its internal structure. To see other celestial objects, use the magnifier icon in the lower-left corner of your screen or simply zoom out from the Sun using your fingers and tap on any other object.
Don’t miss an opportunity to get your own pocket encyclopedia of the Solar System!
