Original Summary

NurPhoto/Getty Images One of the best-known meteor showers is now active until 7 November. The Orionids are particularly fast and can leave trails in the sky that last a few seconds after the meteor itself has gone. The display occurs at around the same time each year when the Earth passes through a trail of dust and debris left behind by Halley's Comet. The showers peak overnight from 21 to 22 October. What are the Orionids? The Orionids are particularly fast, entering the atmosphere at around 41 miles per second. As tiny particles from Halley's comet enter the Earth's atmosphere they heat up and produce streaks of light across the night sky that we see as meteors. Halley's Comet is one of the most famous comets in our Solar System and has been observed from Earth for centuries. It takes around 76 years to complete one orbit of the Sun and was last seen from Earth in 1986. Halley's Comet is not expected to be visible from Earth again until 2061, but its debris will continue to produce meteor showers each year. In fact, the Earth encounters material left behind by it twice a year, resulting in the Eta Aquariid meteor shower in May and the Orionids in October. How can I see the Orionids? The meteors appear to radiate from the constellation of Orion, which is where the shower gets its name, but they can appear anywhere across the night sky. Under ideal conditions, around 10 to 20 meteors can be seen each hour at the shower's peak. BBC Weather / The constellation of Orion is one of the most recognisable in the night sky identifiable by the large hour glass shape formed by some of its stars For the best chance of seeing them, find a dark location away from street lights and with as wide a view of the sky as possible. Allow around 15 to 20 minutes for your eyes to adjust. You won't need binoculars or a telescope; the shower is best viewed with the naked eye. What is the forecast for the start of the shower? Viewing prospects will be rather mixed on Friday evening. The best conditions are likely to be across southern and eastern parts of England where there should be long clear spells, albeit with a few areas of cloud drifting across the sky from time-to-time. In Wales, the Midlands and Northern England it may be more of a struggle to see the meteor shower, with a slow-moving weather front providing cloud and outbreaks of rain. The rain is likely to turn patchier later in the night with a few cloud breaks likely to develop. For Scotland and Northern Ireland it will be a story of clear periods, patchy cloud and a few showers - but if the gaps between the showers are long enough you should get a view for at least some of the time. The Moon could also affect how many meteors are visible at the peak of the Orionids later in October, as the Moon will be building to its full phase on 26 October. This means its light could make some of the fainter meteors more difficult to see. Brighter meteors however should still be visible, particularly from darker locations away from artificial light.

中文概览

中文标题： 如何从周五起观看猎户座流星雨

猎户座流星雨现在活跃至11月7日，峰值在10月21日至22日夜间。流星来自哈雷彗星遗留尘埃，进入大气速度约每秒41英里，理想条件下峰值每小时可见10到20颗。建议找远离街灯、视野开阔的暗处，肉眼观看，给眼睛15到20分钟适应；无需双筒镜或望远镜。周五晚英格兰南部和东部条件最佳，威尔士、中部和北部多云雾雨，苏格兰和北爱尔兰有晴隙和阵雨；10月26日满月可能让暗弱流星更难看到。

  • 情报分类：综合情报
  • 分类依据：天文观测与天气预报，不属技术、商业等类别，只能归综合情报
  • 信息来源：英语新闻 / BBC News Top Stories
  • 发布时间：2026/10/2 15:16:45