The Orionid meteor shower is raining pieces of the famed Halley's Comet on Earth this weekend to the delight of stargazers around the world. For those who cannot see the Orionid meteor shower in person, NASA has images streaming on the Internet.
The live feed is being filmed at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Officials have warned the shower will be hard to see in urban areas because of light pollution.
While some of the meteors were visible as early as Wednesday, experts say Saturday night and early Sunday will be the prime time to spot the meteors as they streak across the sky.
Every year around this time the meteor shower, called the Orionid Meteor Shower, lights up the night sky. The Comet is on a 76-year-orbit around the sun and was visible from Earth in February 1986, but its trail is still visible.
Meteors vary from year to year, but you should expect between 20 and 60 "shooting stars" an hour. Although the source will appear to be centered on the Belt of Orion (Hence the name) the meteors will be visible all over the night sky.
Scientist are unsure of the impact Comet 209/LINEAR will have on our planet. Unfortunately, it's well beyond the orbit of Mars and a dauntingly faint 22nd magnitude. The debris is moving really fast -- roughly 148,000 mph -- and burns up when it hits the atmosphere, causing the flash of light we see.
