Orionids meteor shower 2022: When do they peak in Glasgow, how to watch and weather forecast

Astronomy fans in Glasgow may look forward to seeing a shooting star this week as the Orionids meteor showers are expected to brighten the night sky. According to NASA, they are “the most beautiful showers of the year” that you wouldn’t simply want to miss.

The Orionid meteor showers, which occur every year around mid-October, produce some of the brightest and fastest meteors in the sky, so keep your blinking eyes to a minimum as you look into this heavenly magnificence. With these meteors hitting Earth’s atmosphere at a speed of roughly 148,000mph (66km/s), there will be lengthy flashes of light, which sometimes transform into fireballs.

The Orionids will peak between Friday, October 21 to Saturday, October 22 from midnight until dawn. Don’t panic if you miss them as people in Glasgow could still see the shower albeit less frequently before it finishes on November 7.

The showers can be seen at night with the naked eye but it is advisable to find a spot with an unobscured view of the horizon, away from buildings, trees, and street lights. NASA said the yearly cosmic occurrence happens as Earth travels through a stream of debris trailed by Halley’s Comet, the parent comet of the Orionid shower.

Though Halley’s Comet takes approximately 76 years to orbit the sun, the Earth passes through the ice and dust it sheds on a yearly basis, which produces the Orionids in October.

When is the best time to see the Orionids meteor showers?

The best time to see the Orionids is between midnight and sunrise on the morning of October 22. The UK Meteor Network says you don’t need any special equipment but a bit of preparation is a good idea.

They recommend first checking the weather forecast to see which days are likely to have the clearest skies.

What will the weather be like in Glasgow?

The Met Office has predicted an overcast Friday in Glasgow as we move into the weekend in many locations. On Friday, the sky will be gloomy, with light rain predicted to fall from midnight until 7am, when the sky should clear.

When is the next meteor shower? 

According to Royal Museums Greenwich, the next meteor showers are the Taurids, which will be visible between November 12 and 13.