GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — West Michigan star gazers are in luck: the Orionid meteor shower will be lighting up our sky this weekend.
The celestial show is already underway through Oct. 29, but it will peak this Friday through Sunday.
The best night overall for viewing will likely be Friday night, when skies should be clear with the moon in its new phase. This means the streaking light from any shooting star will not have to compete moonshine.
Orionid meteor showers are spawned by debris from Halley’s comet. They don’t tend to be as spectacular as Perseid meteor showers. However, this time of year the air is typically very dry, so visibility should be excellent.
Your best chance of seeing a shooting star will be between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m., with 10 to 15 meteors visible each hour.
For the best experience, grab a blanket and some hot chocolate and look towards the constellation Orion. Normal lows this time of year hover around 40 degrees, but Friday night in particular will be considerably warmer than that, holding in the 50s.