Friday 19-10-2018 - 09:49

Last night, Thursday 18th October, we had a successful opening meeting, complete with a Kahoot Quiz, and an hour or so of meteor-spotting. The night of October 21st is the peak of the Orionids Meteor Shower; that is to say on that night you can expect the most meteors, or shooting stars, per hour - up to 20! Last night was the first properly clear night for a week or so, and between the times of 7.40 and 8.40 at least 5 meteors were reported by members of the society. 

It is a great sight to see a meteor streak across the sky, and it is really easy to spot some for yourself. After sunset, look East and find somewhere comfortable to sit, wrap up warm, and possibly get a hot drink as it gets rather cold at night. Keep your eyes on the sky in that area for a while and as time goes, you will begin to see streaks of white light - these are meteors. These are largely unmistakeable, but some can be easily confused by any other moving light sources, such as planes and helicopters, which have flashing lights, or satellites, which are steady points of light moving slowly across the sky; meteors move fast and leave a trail. Be careful though, it could be blink and you miss it! As the night goes on, you will see the constellation of Orion rise above the horizon, where the meteors seem to originate from - it is for this reason the meteor shower has their name Orionids. This will be around 10pm. It is a common known winter constellation, easily spotted by it's band of 3 stars close together in a line. You don't want to look directly at it, but rather a bit to the side or above it, as this can result in missing the meteors. 

If you are planning on going meteor-spotting yourself, the best place to go on campus is just behind Bigforth Barn near the BBQ area and if you are off campus, we would recommend a trip up to Williamson Park, away from the glares of street lights and cars. Allow your eyes around 15 to 20 minutes to adjust to the dark, and keep your phones off. Take some friends or family and pets, as it is a great social activity and you share a real burst of excitement and awe when you spot one. You may find yourself out of luck this week, as it is forecast cloud. Though on Sunday from around 10pm onwards the forecast does give clear skies, but could yet change. 

Good luck, and if you do spot any, do let us know on our Facebook page. Don't forget to make a wish.