Orionid meteor shower to grace UAE skies on nights Oct.21 and Oct.22, says Al Jarwan

The skies over the UAE will witness the Orionid meteor shower, peaking on the nights of October 21–22, said Ibrahim Al Jarwan, Chairman of the Emirates Astronomy Society and Member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences.

The Orionids will create a spectacular display of falling meteors across the autumn sky as Earth passes through the densest part of the debris trail left behind by Halley’s Comet and the particles are drawn toward Earth and ignite at an altitude of 80 to 120 kilometers above the surface, producing flashes that last for a few seconds, he added.

He explained to Al Khaleej that the Orionid meteor shower would be best observed between midnight and dawn on October 21 and 22, adding that under ideal viewing conditions and in a dark sky, one might see 10–20 meteors lighting up the night sky every hour.

The glare from the waxing gibbous moon would obscure fainter meteors for most of the night, he said. However, as the moon sets after midnight, a brief window of opportunity would emerge to enjoy a pitch-black sky before dawn, perfect for witnessing the splendor of this annual meteor shower, he added.

The Orionid meteors would appear to radiate from a specific point in the sky, a radiant, located near the constellation Orion, which shines above the southeastern horizon during the early hours past midnight on October 22, he said.

The spectacle is further enhanced by the glowing trails left in their wake as they streak rapidly across the sky, he added.

The eye begins to adapt, but vision remains poor—especially in very dark environments—after 5–10 minutes; typically, the eye requires 20–30 minutes to adapt significantly to the darkness, he said.