astronomy

Meteor Showers to Light Up October Night Skies Over North Texas

The month will be full of celestial events

There is no shortage of celestial events to be seen in the night skies over North Texas throughout the month of October.

Here's a list of things to look for, weather permitting.

ORIONIDS METEOR SHOWER

The Orionids Meteor Shower, created by debris left behind by Halley's Comet, will peak on the evenings of Oct. 20 and 21.

Under ideal conditions, as many as 25 meteors are visible each hour, with your best views in the hours before sunrise on Friday the 21st.

Most meteors can be viewed from any point in the evening sky.

Sunset Thursday night is at 6:49 p.m. Sunrise Friday is at 7:37 a.m.

INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION FLY-BY

The International Space Station has been seen flying across the North Texas sky this month. It appears as a fast-moving star across the sky.

The ISS is traveling at 17,150 mph with an orbital inclination of 51.6° to the earth’s equator. The station circles the globe every 90 minutes. It orbits 250 miles above the Earth.

On Friday, the ISS will be visible for five minutes beginning at 6:47 a.m. You'll see it traveling from the West to the North-North East.

A NEW MOON

At the end of the month, a New Moon will peak on Oct. 25 at 5:48 a.m. This event allows many stars to glow without moonlight disruption. If you have a telescope, this is also a great opportunity to view some of the fainter galaxies and other celestial objects in the nighttime sky.

For the best viewing, move away from urban lights.

SHARE YOUR PICTURES

If you're fortunate enough to capture a glimpse of one of these events, send us a picture or video here or email iSee@NBCDFW.com. We may show these on TV and online.

Share your photos and videos with NBC 5 by emailing iSee@nbcdfw.com
Share your photos and videos with NBC 5 by emailing iSee@nbcdfw.com
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