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Draconids & Orionids Meteor Showers This Month

Named after Draco, the dragon constellation, the Draconid meteor shower is at its peak tonight and tomorrow evening.  Rather than wait until the wee small hours of the night, the Draconids are best seen in the evening, after nightfall, looking North. You do have to be patient as there are only about 5 per hour.

Far more illuminating are the Orionids which have already begun but reach their peak on 20th/21st October. The meteors from the Orionids are dust and debris left behind by Halley’s Comet. Orion is a relatively easy constellation to find in our autumn and winter skies – it is in the Southeast at early evening and bright and high in the South by mid-to-late evening. It is also easily recognisable by the three bright stars that form the “belt of Orion,” The meteor shower appears to come from the constellation of Orion but they can be seen in the sky from all directions, without the need for binoculars or a telescope. The Moon will just be in the first quarter so the bright shower will be clearer to see. The Orionids are one of the most reliable meteor showers each year. One can usually see about 25 per hour.
All, of course, is weather dependant!

#Broadwindsor,#WestDorset,#Dorset,#MeteorShower,#Draconids,#Orionids,#TwinkleTwinkleLittleStar,#LookUp,#SocialDistancing,#BeKind,#StaySafe

Wendy Shields

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