Orionids, Oct 21st!

[JB80]

The Orionids meteor shower is just starting to ramp itself up getting ready for it's peak a week from now and while it may not be the most numerous of showers in terms of meteors seen per hour there are quite often many bright fireballs associated with the shower the moon phase is extremely favourable for this years observation. 

I'm quite looking forward to this years shower if the weather holds off because we have had a terrible run(terrible for here anyway) of it lately, fingers crossed. I was hoping we might of had moved to our new place by then too as it looks to be a great place for meteor observing/imaging but that process is being drawn out so I'll have to wait for that.

From Earth & Sky

http://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/everything-you-need-to-know-orionid-meteor-shower

 

What are the prospects for this year’s Orionid shower? In short, the prospects are good because there’s little or no moon to wash out the meteors this year. Find a dark sky for the 2014 Orionids, lie down on a reclining lawn chair in comfort and look up! Give yourself at least an hour of watching time for meteors tend to come in spurts, and are interspersed by lulls. Remember, also, that it takes about twenty minutes for your eyes to adapt to the dark.

When is the best time to watch for the Orionids? As with most (but not all) meteor showers, the best time to watch the Orionid shower is between the hours of midnight and dawn. The Orionids don’t really begin to streak the nighttime sky until late evening, when the magnificent constellation Orion ascends over the eastern horizon. After their radiant point rises, you see many more meteors, and as the radiant rises higher in the sky throughout the night, the meteors will increase in number. That’s why the wee hours before dawn are usually the best.

Where do I look in the sky to see the Orionids? Yes, meteors in annual showers are named for the point in our sky from which they appear to radiate. The radiant point for the Orionids is in the direction of the famous constellation Orion the Hunter. Hence the name Orionids.

If you trace the paths of these Orionid meteors backward, they seem to come from the Club of Orion. You might know Orion’s bright, ruddy star Betelgeuse. The radiant is north of Betelgeuse.

But you don’t need to know this constellation to see the meteors. The meteors often don’t become visible until they are 30 degrees or so from their radiant point – and remember, they are streaking out from the radiant in all directions. So the meteors will appear in all parts of the sky.

That’s why it’s best to find a wide-open viewing area than to look in any particular direction. Sometimes friends like to watch together, facing different directions. When somebody sees one, they can call out “Meteor!”

From IMO 

http://www.imo.net/calendar/2014#ori

Active: October 2 — November 7; Maximum: October 21 (λ_⊙ = 208°); ZHR = 25;
Radiant: α = 95°, δ = +16°; Radiant drift: see Table 6;
V_∞ = 66 km/s; r = 2.5;
TFC: α = 100°, δ = +39° and α = 75°, δ = +24° (β > 40° N);
or α = 80°, δ = +1° and α = 117°, δ = +1° (β < 40° N)

October’s nearly-new Moon nicely treats the Orionid peak to dark skies this year. The shower’s radiant, near the celestial equator, is at a useful elevation by local midnight or so in either hemisphere, somewhat before in the north, thus most of the world can enjoy the shower. Each return from 2006 to 2009 produced unexpectedly strong ZHRs of around 40–70 on two or three consecutive dates. An earlier IMO analysis of the shower, using data from 1984–2001, found both the peak ZHR and r parameters varied somewhat from year to year, with the highest mean ZHR ranging from ∼ 14–31 during the examined interval. In addition, a suspected 12-year periodicity in stronger returns found earlier in the 20th century appeared to have been partly confirmed. That suggested better activity should have happened from 2008–2010, falling thereafter towards 2014–2016, so perhaps ZHRs may be less than 20 in 2014. The recent strong returns seemed to have had a separate resonant cause, with nothing further anticipated this time. The Orionids often provide several lesser maxima, helping activity sometimes remain roughly constant for several consecutive nights centred on the main peak. In 1993 and 1998, a submaximum about as strong as the normal peak was detected on October 17/18 from Europe, for instance. All observers should be aware of these possibilities, as circumstances are favourable for covering October 17/18 this year with little lunar interference too. Several visual subradiants had been reported in the past, but recent video work has found the radiant to be far less complex.

 

[Pete Presland]

some very interesting info there, good that the moon is going to be out of the way. just need the clouds to shift for at least a while.

[uhb1966]

Can somebody share some light on how to photograph them? ISO and time settings?

[JB80]

Can somebody share some light on how to photograph them? ISO and time settings?

What I would do is set your camera up on a standard tripod and use the widest lens you have. From there use as long as an exposure as you can before light pollution and star trailing takes over, say for an 18mm lens you have about 25-30seconds before trailing kicks in so then I would use no longer than that, even less if the pics are too orange from LP. For a 50mm lens you have around 8 seconds before trailing and that it fine to use too.

Just experiment to see what gives a nice colour to the picture, length isn't really a problem as long as you have exposed the stars. Make sure the camera is set for 'continuous shooting' and turn off any settings like noise reduction.

A good average ISO would be 800.

Hope that helps a  little.

[uhb1966]

Thanks a lot!

I was out this morning and had the MOST ASTONISHING stargazing night in years! I'll post details....

[davefrance]

Here's one frame from over 100 taken last night, not a meteor, plane or satellite in sight, but thought it might help with settings. The main problem you will expeience is the build up of moisture on the exposed lens front pointing upwards.

Have tried stacking with DSS but unsuccessful, it is not my friend at the moment.

18mm-55mm kit lens @18mm

30 secs

ISO 800

Normal fixed tripod.

Focus inf.

Controlled with remote timer.

[RichM63]

Yey Dave, I'm chuffed, I actually recognize your sky. Early evening/night, about 10pm, N/E, good Pleiades, Starfish cluster, Menkar, Aldebaran (in the center tree). Pity you couldn't get wider to the right Uranus would have been the 'Cherry'

Was out looking for the Orionids but a post hot day sea mist/fog hid everything. I will try again tonight.

[uhb1966]

I had an astonishing session on sunday morning...
got up at 5am. Went immediately outside for some orionids. There was an absolutely amazing seeing - the atmosphere completely transparent, not even star twinkling, stars perfectly visible all the way down to the horizon! Also, zero LP from the next big city. I was able to locate 12 stars from the pleiades using averted vision. Was on watch until 630 am, 4 minor orionids, 5 extremely bright ones, they seemed to have a smoke trail, or maybe it was only on my retina. I havent seen so many bright shooting stars since 1994 ))

Its strange, you get such a positive feeling from stargazing

There seems to be good seeing tonight for me, and then clouds for 4 days :/

clear skies!!!

[Special K]

Was clear here early morning after the gales and I spent an hour between 2 and 3am but didn't see any movement at all!  I thought peak activity was 21st, so maybe I've missed the show. 

[jabeoo1]

Orion is such a show off.  As if Orion hasn't got enough going for it, this annual meteor shower is just rubbing the others nose in it really.  

[StarSailor]

I saw one but I was looking north instead of South :-/

Then I realised my error and saw a great one just before dawn, not really a shower for me though!

It was odd because when I looked at 530 am the sky was hazy but at 6:15 was clear as a bell.