The Syrian sky will witness the peak of astronomical activity for the "Orionid" meteor shower on Wednesday evening, a regular autumn phenomenon during which Earth passes through the ancient dust trail left by Comet Halley in space hundreds of years ago.
Nabil Al-Bish, a member of the advisory committee at the Syrian Astronomical Society, explained that this phenomenon represents annual "light messages" from one of the most famous comets in history, noting that Earth regularly passes through the dust river left by the comet twice a year, creating the "Eta Aquariids" shower in May and its counterpart, the "Orionids," in October.
Al-Bish pointed out that what observers see as fleeting lines of light are actually fine dust particles, each no larger than a grain of sand, entering the upper atmosphere at a speed of approximately 66 kilometers per second, causing air heating and the evaporation of those atoms at altitudes ranging between 95 and 105 kilometers above the Earth's surface.
Ideal viewing until sunrise
The Orionids are distinguished by their special visual beauty, as their magnesium and iron-rich particles ignite in colors ranging from yellow to bluish-green, leaving about half of these meteors with "residual ionized trains," which are glowing gas threads that remain drawn in the sky for several seconds. Al-Bish noted that the presence of the Moon in its waxing gibbous phase, with an illumination of approximately 84%, will obscure faint meteors in the early evening hours, but viewing conditions will gradually improve after midnight.
He clarified that observers in rural and open areas far from city lights can see between 15 and 20 meteors per hour with the naked eye, without the need for any optical equipment. It is worth noting that the "Orionid" meteor shower derives its astronomical name from the constellation Orion, and its annual activity extends from October 2 to November 7.
Source: Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA)
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