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2013 Orionid Meteor Shower Peak: 3 Unbelievable Photos

The Orionids are peaking now and continue until about Nov. 7.

As far as photos go of the 2013 Orionid meteor shower peak, it'll be difficult to get anything resembling the photos that accompany this story.

The photos are from Tommy Eliassen Photography, taken in Norway this year and last. When we stumbled across them, we knew we had to share them, and Eliassen graciously agreed to have them posted on Patch.

For us, the bad news for the 2013 Orionid meteor shower peak is the moon. It'll be bright tonight and tomorrow, which can obscure many of the Orionids meteors in what is typically one of the busier showers of the year.

But skies over Northern Virginia are also supposed to be clear all the way through Monday, so you may just get a glimpse of some shooting starts.

And keep looking, while the meteor shower peaks tonight and tomorrow night, it'll continue until about Nov. 7.

Find out what's happening in Manassas Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

From NASA on the Orionids:

The Orionids, which peak during mid-October each year, are considered to be one of the most beautiful showers of the year. Orionid meteors are known for their brightness and for their speed. These meteors are fast -- they travel at about 148,000 mph (66 km/s) into the Earth's atmosphere. Fast meteors can leave glowing "trains" (incandescent bits of debris in the wake of the meteor) that last for several seconds to minutes. Fast meteors can also sometimes become fireballs: Look for prolonged explosions of light when viewing the Orionid meteor shower.

Find out what's happening in Manassas Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Remnants from this shower, as well as the Eta Aquarids in May, come from Halley's Comet

Fast Facts on the Orionids from Earthsky.org:

Comet of Origin: 1P/Halley
Radiant: Just to the north of constellation Orion's bright star Betelgeuse
Active: 2 Oct. - 7 Nov. 2013
Peak Activity: 20-21 Oct. 2013
Peak Activity Meteor Count: Approximately 20 meteors per hour in moonless skies.
Meteor Velocity: 66 km (41 miles) per second


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