Australia · Shooting stars
Every year, Earth crosses a trail of dust left behind by 1P/Halley, and on the night into Thursday 22 October we hit the densest part. The grains, rarely bigger than a grain of sand, burn up in the atmosphere at 66 kilometres per second and become the Orionids.
The Moon and the darkness
The Moon is 77 % lit and brightens the sky a lot. Only the brightest meteors will be visible – but the biggest fireballs outshine even a full moon.
It is dark enough from about 20:09 until 05:09.
Most shooting stars are usually seen after midnight, when our side of Earth turns into the stream.
Where should you look?
The shooting stars seem to come from a point towards the north, but they can appear anywhere in the sky. Look a little to the side of that point – that is where you see the longest trails.
Lie down on a mat or a garden lounger so you can see most of the sky. No binoculars needed – your eyes are the best instrument for shooting stars.
Good dark places include Bruny Island, Warrumbungle and Kunanyi / Mount Wellington.
The next major meteor shower is the Leonids, peaking Wednesday 18 November.