Shooting stars will be visible across Belgium and large parts of Europe tonight. Each year in October, Orionids (meteors which came from the Orion constellation) streak across the sky as they burn up in the atmosphere.
Orionids are debris left behind by Halley’s Comet – a large comet which is visible from Earth once every 75-76 years and can even be seen with the naked eye. Every October, planet earth passes through the field of debris left behind by this comet. While some comets can be seen between 2 October and 7 November, they are expected to be the most visible on 21-22 October.
As with any solar event, it is best to move away from cities and light pollution to view the comets passing by Earth. Most of the comets will be visible without the use of any special equipment. They will be most numerous in the direction of the Orion constellation with up to 20 shooting stars each hour likely to be visible.
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The weather forecast for Brussels predicts partly cloudy skies at night, with occasional clear periods. However, views of the sky will likely be clearest outside of the capital.
If you cannot catch the shooting stars tonight, another meteor shower is expected sometime in November, Leonids left over from the Tempel-Tuttle comet.
