The ‘most beautiful meteor shower’ will be over Boise this weekend. Here’s how to watch
Stargazers will be treated to one of the most beautiful meteor showers of the year this weekend. As Earth travels through space head-on through the debris of the famous Halley’s Comet. The debris streaking across our skies, creates the annual Orionids meteor shower.
Orionid meteors have been occasionally visible in the night sky since Sept. 26, according to the American Meteor Society, and will continue to be visible until Nov. 22.
But the peak will occur this weekend, in the early hours of Saturday and Sunday morning, according to space news website EarthSky. Stargazers can expect to see between 10-20 meteors per hour. The best time to spot meteors will start at around 1 a.m. until sunrise.
Here’s what to know about the Orionid meteor shower in the Boise area this year.
How to view the Orionid meteor shower in Boise
Dark skies will help make the Orionids more visible this year, with the moon only being 37% illuminated at the shower’s peak. But you’ll have to stay up late if you want to see them; the shower is most visible after midnight each night, according to NASA.
The best way to see the show in North America is to lie flat on your back with your feet facing southeast, according to NASA. It’ll take about 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the night sky, and then you should start seeing over a dozen meteors per hour.
The Orionids got their name from the constellation Orion because the meteors seem to radiate from the constellation — but they can be seen across the whole night sky. Orion, named after the mythical Greek huntsman, can be easily located by finding Orion’s “belt,” which is three bright stars — Alnilam, Mintaka and Alnitak — in a straight line.
Because Earth is flying through space head-on into the debris left behind from Halley’s Comet, the Orionids are some of the fastest meteors that Earth encounters. They pass through the sky at about 41 miles per second, so you’ll have to keep a close eye out for them.
Will the weather cooperate?
The best chance for Idahoans to view the Orionids will be early Saturday morning. The National Weather Service in Boise forecasts partly cloudy skies on Friday night that’ll give way to a clear sky on Saturday.
Clouds will return on Saturday evening and slowly overtake the sky into Sunday, where the Weather Service forecasts a 20% chance of rain.
Where can you watch the meteors near Boise?
The best way to watch meteor showers is to avoid any sources of significant light pollution. Even when looking at the night sky, Space.com recommends focusing on parts of the sky away from constellations because the light from stars can diminish how a meteor looks.
The website Light Pollution Map shows where exactly you can escape light pollution, but here are some good locations to watch the night sky close to Boise:
Camel’s Back Park - The top of the hill at Camel’s Back Park allows you to put the light pollution behind you and look out toward the Boise Mountains.
Dedication Point - Pull-off area near Celebration Park south of Boise with zero light pollution.
Central Idaho Dark Sky Reserve - An area of land in Sun Valley where no lights are allowed.
The next chance to watch a significant meteor shower will be the Leonids from Nov. 3 to Dec. 2, with the peak coming Nov. 17.
