Orionids meteor shower visible in RP

MANILA, Philippines - The Orionids, fast meteors capable of producing fireballs, will be visible from Oct. 17 to 25, the weather bureau said.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said in its monthly astronomical diary that the meteor shower will be seen north of Betelgeuse, the brightest star in the constellation Orion.

The shower may be observed with favorable sky conditions. Fifteen meteors an hour may be seen at the maximum.      

“But sometimes there are lulls even during the traditional maximum peak nights of Oct. 21 to 22,” Pagasa said.          

On the other hand, Comet 103P/Hartley, the brightest comet of this year, may be seen on Oct. 20 “with the naked eye under a normal dark sky condition,” Pagasa said.

Comet 103P/Hartley, a small periodic comet with an orbital period of 6.46 years, was discovered by Malcolm Hartley in 1986 at the Schmidt Telescope Unit in Siding Spring, Australia. Its diameter is estimated to be 1.2 to 1.6 kilometers.      

The comet will pass within 17.95 million kilometers from the Earth and will be at perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on Oct. 28.

“It has an apparent magnitude of +5 and will be trekking among the background stars of the constellations Cassiopeia, Perseus and Auriga from the first day of the month and onward,” Pagasa said.