Germany: Clouds to spoil final night of Orionid meteor shower peak

By Eric Leister, Meteorologist

October 21,2016; 7:57PM,EDT

 

 

Clouds across most of Germany will spoil the final night of the Orionid meteor shower peak on Friday.
The Orionid meteor shower is a moderate shower that produces about 25 meteors per hour during its peak.
"The Orionids are one of the top five meteor showers of the year and will bring the best chance to see a shooting star since the Perseids meteor shower in August," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brian Lada said.
The celestial show may be difficult to view in Hamburg, Berlin, Dresden and Cologne due to clouds.

The clouds will accompany a slow-moving storm system that will continue to spin over Germany with periodic rain and chilly conditions into Saturday.
Some breaks in the clouds will offer those in far southern Baden-Württemberg and southwestern Bavaria a glimpse of the celestial show.
Though Thursday and Friday were predicted to mark the shower's peak, improved viewing conditions will follow for Saturday and Sunday night.
Clouds will become less widespread across more of southern and central Germany on Saturday night. However, the clearer conditions could allow patchy fog to develop late in the night.
While clouds will stream back over southern Germany on Sunday night, skies will be clear long enough to give skygazers from Hamburg to Berlin an opportunity to see the meteor shower.
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The best viewing of the Orionid meteors usually takes place in the early hours before dawn.
Orionid meteors, also known as shooting stars, are debris of ice and dust left behind by Comet Halley.
The debris particles discarded by the comet plummet into the Earth's atmosphere, sometimes leaving a trail of ionized gas which gives the appearance of a glowing streak.
"Occasionally, the Orionids produce fireballs, or meteors that shine extremely brightly for a few quick seconds before fading away," Lada said.
The key to seeing a meteor shower is finding an unobstructed view. Dark areas in the countryside and parks away from city lights are best.
If skygazers are unable to see the Orionids, the Geminids, will occur in December of 2016.
It is typically regarded as the best meteor shower of the year. Stargazers may see multicolored meteors at a rate of up to 120 per hour during its peak.