Orionid meteor shower to end October astronomy events
After the superemoon, mark your calendars for the Orionid meteor shower at the end of the month for even more astronomical wonders!
The Orionid meteor shower will peak on the night of Oct. 20-21. Although a nearly full moon will wash away fainter meteors, here’s how you can still watch the shower.
Autumn is sometimes referred to as "meteor shower season" as there are more meteor showers than any other season of the year. October alone will feature two such light shows, as well as one of the brightest full moons of 2024.
October also brings the rare chance to see a comet, with photographers already capturing astounding images of Comet C/2023 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) in the morning sky. Early risers should have more opportunities to spot the comet throughout the month.
Comet C2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-Atlas is seen over the hills near the village of Aguas Blancas, Lavalleja Department, Uruguay, at dawn on September 28, 2024. (Photo by MARIANA SUAREZ/AFP via Getty Images)
Oct. 7-8: Draconid meteor shower
The second week of the month kicked off with the Draconid meteor shower, the first meteor shower since mid-August.
The Draconids have occasionally burst into spectacular meteor storms, dazzling onlookers with thousands of shooting stars per hour. The most recent of these awe-inspiring displays occurred in 2011 and 2018, according to EarthSky, but this year's showing did not compare.
Oct. 17-18: Super Hunter Moon
Catch the rise of the Super Hunter’s Moon on the night of Oct. 17-18. This month’s full moon will also be a supermoon, appearing slightly larger and brighter than normal.
Fall's first full moon is one of the brightest of the year with a supermoon illuminating the night sky on the nights of Oct. 17 and Oct. 18. This is the third of four consecutive supermoons in 2024, appearing a smidge bigger and brighter than a normal full moon.
October's full moon is also known as the Hunter Moon, as it is the time of year when hunters would traditionally begin hunting to store meat and other food ahead of the winter months.
The moon rises behind the church in Wehrheim near Frankfurt, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
Other nicknames for October's full moon include the Falling Leaves Moon, the Migrating Moon and the Freezing Moon.
Oct. 20-21: Orionid meteor shower
The mid-October Orionids are typically one of the best meteor showers of autumn; however, this year, the event may fizzle rather than sizzle due to another astronomical sight in the sky.
Most years, the Orionids offers stargazers around 20 shooting stars per hour, double that of the Draconids earlier in the month.
In 2024, the nearly full moon "will severely hamper views of this display" on the night of Oct. 20 into the early morning of Oct. 21, according to the American Meteor Society. Meteors will continue to be visible the night of Oct. 21 into the morning of Oct. 22 before the Orionids slowly wane.
Onlookers should still be able to spot a handful of shooting stars throughout the night, especially after midnight local time. For the best chance of seeing meteors, experts recommend focusing on dark areas of the sky where the moon is out of sight.
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