When is the next viewing of halleys comet

Edit Story. Feb 9, , pm EST. I inspire people to go stargazing, watch the Moon, enjoy the night sky. Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Check out my website or some of my other work here.

Jamie Carter. The pre-dawn hours in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere is the best time to view; of the hemispheres, the Southern Hemisphere will have better odds of seeing shooting stars than the Northern Hemisphere. The best viewing site is far away from sources of light pollution: city and street lights can block out the faint streaks that would be visible in an otherwise clear, dark night. Astronomers recommend that observers lie flat on their back with their feet facing east. As you look up in the clear, dark sky, your eyes should acclimate to the low light conditions and you should be able to see the meteors streak across the night sky.

The shower is visible in both hemispheres, with the best viewing occurring just before dawn on Wednesday. Locating the radiant point is not necessary for viewing — all you need to do is look up. Viewing in the southern hemisphere is preferable, but not necessary.

From the northern hemisphere, the shooting stars often appear as "earth grazers": Long meteors that appear to skim the surface of the Earth near the horizon. To view any meteor shower, it's advised to escape harsh city lights and find an open area. Lie flat on your back with your feet facing east and look up, allowing about 30 minutes in the dark for your eyes to adjust. One point is in the early part of May, producing a meteor display known as the Eta Aquarids.

The other point comes in the middle-to-latter part of October, producing the Orionid meteors. The Orionid meteor shower is predicted to peak early on Thursday morning Oct. Under ideal conditions a dark, moonless sky about 20 of these very swift meteors can be seen per hour. The shower appears at about one-quarter peak strength for about two days before and after Oct.

There is, however, a major drawback if you plan to watch for these meteors this year: a practically full moon. The full moon of October is traditionally known as the "Hunter's Moon" and in that will occur Wednesday Oct. Thereafter it will be waning losing illumination but it will still be virtually full when the Orionids are reaching their peak early tomorrow morning.

So, most of these streaks of light will likely be obliterated by the bright moonlight.