Orionids 2017 LIVE STREAM: How to watch the Orionid Meteor Shower online

THE ORIONIDS Meteor Shower will pepper the night’s sky with a breathtaking display of shooting stars tonight. But how can you live stream the Orionids 2017 online?

How to watch the Orionid Meteor Shower 2017

Orionid Meteor Shower 2017: Watch the Orionids onlineGETTY

Orionids Meteor Shower 2017: You can watch the Orionids online

When is the Orionid Meteor Shower?

The Orionids have been visible as individual since October 15 and are due to continue until about November 7, but the shower is set to peak in the early hours of Saturday (October 21). 

The shower might not be the strongest in the astronomical calendar though stargazers will still be treated to about 15 meteors per hour. 

NASA’s Jane Houston Jones said: “The Orionids peak on October 20, a dark, moonless night.

“Look near Orion's club in the hours before dawn and you may see up to 10 to 15 meteors per hour.”

How to watch the Orionid Meteor Shower online?

For those who are not able to view the Orionids in the night’s sky, robotic telescope service Slooh will be live streaming the entire shower online. 

The stream will start at 1am BST on Saturday (8pm EDT on Friday) and will include commentary and analysis from a number of experts. 

Slooh veteran Paul Cox will be joined by long-time astronomer Bob Berman and astronomy writer Dr Paige Godfrey.

“Each October, Earth's orbit propels the planet through the dust shed by Halley's Comet,” Slooh said.

The Orionids peak on October 20, a dark, moonless night

Jane Houston Jones of NASA

“The impact of the comet dust with our atmosphere transforms it into a glittering rain of fire: the Orionids. 

“The annual Orionids meteor shower is not considered the showiest of meteor showers, but it is generally a reliable one; at its peak it should produce between 15 and 20 meteors per hour.”

The show will air on Slooh.com but you need to be a member to gain access to the stream. It is free to register. 

Orionids Meteor Shower in the night's skyGETTY

Orionids 2017: NASA expect there to be about 15 meteors per hour at peak time

How to watch the Orionids in the night’s sky

As with all meteor showers, the Orionids are best viewed from a rural location away from any light pollution.

For the best results, get up early and watch the shower in the darkest hours before the dawn.

"It’s best to just kick back, look up and pay attention to as much of the sky as you can," Patrick Young, an associate professor at Arizona State University told AZ Central.

You do not need a telescope because the shooting stars can be seen with the naked eye, though have said binocular can be useful.

“Use binoculars to look for bright asteroid 7 Iris in the constellation Aries,” Ms Houston Jones said.

“Newbies to astronomy should be able to spot this magnitude 6.9 asteroid even from the city.”

Orionids Meter ShowerGETTY

Orionid Meteor Shower: The Orionids will peak tonight and tomorrow

What is the Orionids Meteor Shower?

The Orionids are meteors that originate from the dust left behind by Halley’s Comet. 

Also known as Comet 1P/Halley, Halley’s Comet whizzes past the Earth every 75 years but we collide with its debris twice annually.

You can also see pieces of the comet during the Eta Aquarids in May, according to NASA’s Bill Cooke. 

It will be 2061 before the Halley's Comet passes the Earth again. 

The Orionids get their name because they radiate from the constellation Orion the Hunter - one of the brightest and most recognisable clusters of stars in the night sky. 

As Earth passes through Halley’s orbit, pieces of rock plunge into our upper atmosphere and burn up, causing beautiful shooting star displays.

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