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Laman Ismayilova

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From October 2 to November 7, the Orionid meteor shower will be observed in Baku, Azernews reports, citing Azertag. The number of meteors will peak on October 21.

According to Baku State University's Astrophysics Department, this meteor shower is called Orionids because its source is in the Orion constellation.

At its peak, up to 20 meteors can be seen per hour. In Baku, the shower can be observed from 22:00 to 06:27, until dawn.

This is the second meteor shower of the month. The Draconid meteor shower will be observed from October 6 to 10, peaking on October 8.

The Orionid meteor shower is the second meteor shower created by Halley's comet. It takes Halley's comet approximately 76 years to complete one orbit around the Sun. It will be visible from Earth again in 2061.

Sometimes meteors fall in groups. The meteors that make up a meteor shower appear to originate from the same point in the sky to observers on Earth because they move along parallel trajectories at the same speed.

This point is referred to as the radiant. Traditionally, meteor showers are named after the constellation in which the radiant is located.

The Orionids are a stunning meteor shower that peaks in mid-October each year.

These meteors are bright and move very quickly, travelling at about 148,000 mph (66 km/s) as they enter Earth's atmosphere.

Because they are so fast, they can leave glowing trails behind them that can last for seconds or even minutes. Sometimes, they can explode into bright flashes of light, which are called fireballs.

The Orionids also occur near some of the brightest stars in the night sky, creating a beautiful setting for watching these impressive meteors.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @lmntypewriterrr

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