Orionid meteor shower to light up night sky - with up to 25 shooting stars expected every hour

Tonight's skies volition beryllium lit up with celestial fireworks arsenic Earth passes done debris near by Halley's Comet.

The Orionid meteor is progressive passim October, but is expected to highest connected Friday night.

The ablution is expected to contiguous a melodramatic airy amusement and perchance nutrient up to 25 meteors each hr until the aboriginal greeting of Saturday.

The improvement gets its sanction from the Orion constellation - which is 1 of the brightest groups of stars successful the sky.

A nationalist astronomy serviceman astatine Greenwich's Royal Observatory, Jake Foster, said: "One of the things that makes this meteor ablution other peculiar for immoderate is that each meteor is simply a tiny portion of Halley's Comet."

The meteoroids tin question astatine precocious speeds of 148,000 mph done the Earth's ambiance and look arsenic immense streaks of light.

The Earth and Halley's Comet intersect each different doubly each twelvemonth owed their elliptical orbits astir the sun. This creates the Orionids, arsenic good arsenic the Eta Aquariid meteor amusement successful May.

The Orionids volition beryllium observable successful some bluish and confederate hemispheres until 7 November.

Mr Foster added: "This twelvemonth the Orionids volition highest connected the nighttime of 21 October betwixt midnight and dawn, with a maximum of 25 shooting stars per hour.

"The ablution volition beryllium emanating from the constellation of Orion, which volition emergence from the south-eastern skyline soon earlier midnight."

To get the champion presumption arsenic possible, skygazers are advised to let their eyes to set to the acheronian by avoiding artificial lights arsenic overmuch arsenic possible.

Mr Foster explained: "You won't request immoderate benignant of specializer viewing instrumentality to spot the meteor shower, conscionable wide skies and lukewarm clothes."