Meteor pass will make for sky-high light show

PHOENIX — Watch the skies this weekend — the Orionid meteor shower will pass through and a telescope won’t be necessary to see the show.

“You can really at any part of the sky but they seem to be coming from the constellation Orion which will be in the eastern part of the sky,” said Kevin Schindler with Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff.

Schindler said the best viewing time should be around midnight Saturday. Skies across most of Arizona are expected to be clear and moonlight won’t interefere with visibility.

“We can never predict for sure you will see, but you can expect to see twenty per hour or so.”

The Orionids are produced by the earth moving through icy pieces from Halley’s Comet, which made its last appearance in 1986.

“You will see fireballs instead of a regular meteor. You’ll see a bright flash of light and after it’s gone its trail will be embedded in your vision for a couple of seconds,” Schindler said.

KTAR’s Dr. Sky said, “Look into the eastern part of the sky around midnight. Look for that brightest object, which is the planet Jupiter. Look left of Jupiter and you will see the Orionids.”