Orionids meteor shower seen this weekend

MANILA, Philippines - The Bicol region, Visayas, and Mindanao can take advantage of partly cloudy skies over the weekend to observe the Orionids meteor shower, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said yesterday.

Orionids are fast meteors that can produce fireballs. It is one of the two meteor showers that occur each year as a result of Earth passing through the dust released by Halley’s Comet. The first is the Eta Aquarids shower that occurs every late April to early May with peak activity on May 6.

The point from where the Orionid meteors appear to radiate is located within the constellation Orion.  

Pagasa administrator Prisco Nilo said the Orionids can produce 20 meteors per hour that may be observed during favorable sky conditions until Oct. 25. 

“Clear mornings during the activity period are always good times to look for meteors in dark sites,” Nilo said.