Orionid Meteor Shower, Nature's Dazzling Light Show

Tommy Eliassen, Korgfjellet, Norway

Just after midnight, when October 21st embarked on its 24-hour journey, the night sky treated stargazers to a natural light show, stunning in its beauty.

Thomas Eliassen, the photograhper who took the picture at left in Norway, wrote in an e-mail to SPACE.com, "An Orionid meteor streaking over the sky, the aurora borealis in the northern horizon and the Milky Way over my camp. A very cold but perfect night to photograph the Orionid meteor shower."

In October each year, the earth passes through Halley Comet's dust trail, allowing earth dwellers to view the meteor showers that seem to emanate from the Orion Constellations, hence the term Orionid.  Traveling at close to 150,000 mph, the set the sky afire as they hurtle through our planet's atmosphere.  This year, observers saw a more spectacular sight than usual. Venus and Jupiter moved into position with Sirius, the Dog Star, to form a bright triangle in the eastern pre-dawn sky.

Perhaps a sight such as the one below, inspired Don McLean to write "Starry, Starry Night" in tribute to Vincent Van Gogh.  This blogger has vowed to stay up next year and experience the Orionid Meteor Show personally.

thetechherald.com