Halley's comet set to make skies sparkle during Orionid meteor shower this week

The famous Halley's comet will whiz past Earth in 2061, however, stargazers now have a chance to have an early look at it this week. The next few days will see the Orionid meteor shower reach its peak and interestingly, all this is accredited to the debris left behind Halley’s comet. 

According to NASA, the Orionid meteor shower occurs each year when the planet makes its way through the dust cloud of the comet which takes about 76 years to complete one orbit around the sun. 

How to view the Orionid meteor shower?

While the Orionid meteor shower is active from September 26 to November 22, it offers the best viewing experience around October 21-22. NASA advises settling in a dark area free from any light pollution as Orionid meteors are known for their brightness and for their speed, which is roughly 66 km per second. During this event, one can spot around 15 meteors every hour, around the Orion constellation. 

"You should not look only toward the constellation of Orion to view the Orionids– they are visible across the night sky. It is actually better to view the Orionids from 45 to 90 degrees away from the radiant," NASA said in a statement.

About Halley's comet and the resulting meteor shower

The comet was discovered by English astronomer Edmond Halley who noticed in 1705 that three previous comets seemed to return every 76 years. It was last seen by astronomers in 1986 and its next appearance is expected in 2061. Interestingly, scientists have linked the comet's appearances to observations dating back more than 2,000 years. According to NASA, its dimensions are 15 kilometers by 8 kilometers and it is one of the darkest, or least reflective, objects in the solar system.

Formally called 1P/Halley, it sheds ice and rocky dust into space and when the particles collide with Earth's atmosphere, they are seen as streaks of light which has been named the Orionid meteor shower.