Early a.m. would be more accurate, I suppose.
These are the Orionids, and the viewing is expected to be excellent because of the quarter moon. These are particles left behind by Halley’s Comet (which is now somewhere past Jupiter). The NASA alert (if I interpreted all that scientific stuff correctly) says look south and east, about 50 degrees off the horizon. The site said to expect about 20 an hour. The link is from http://www.nasa.gov.
And the really bright “star” up above Orion’s arm is Jupiter, and the other big bright thing off to Jupiter’s left (south, I guess) is Saturn.
Cool, huh?
What should the view be like from southern California? Not that there’s much point in asking, as overcast as it’s been recently.
Well I looked up at three in the morning. There was Orion, but no Orionids. Maybe tomorrow
Rilchiam – here’s what they said at the Nasa site – sounds like viewing might be better tonight.
"No matter where you live, the best time to see Orionid meteors will be during the hours before dawn on October 20th through 23rd. Rural observers should enjoy as many as 20 shooting stars per hour. During this year’s broad peak, centered approximately on Oct. 21st, the light of the waning quarter Moon will make faint meteors hard to spot; pre-dawn observers on the 22nd and 23rd may have better luck with diminishing moonlight.
Orionid meteoroids are fast. They hit the atmosphere at a head-spinning velocity of 90,000 mph. There’s no danger, though, because the tiny specks of dust disintegrate well above the stratosphere. True to their name, the Orionids will appear to stream from the constellation Orion, which is high in the southern sky before dawn. The best place to look for meteors is not, however, directly toward Orion. Orionids can appear anywhere in the sky, with tails that point back to the shower’s radiant above Orion’s left shoulder. Experienced meteor watchers suggest looking 90 degrees away from the constellation – that’s usually the best direction to watch Orionids fly by. Also, try to choose a dark area of the sky away from the bright Moon."