Orionids Meteor Shower 2012 Peaking This Weekend

Astronomy buffs and non-buffs who can’t resist a chance to see a lot of shooting stars, don’t forget that the 2012 Orionids meteor shower will peak this weekend.

The shower should be at its best Saturday night until just before dawn on Sunday. This year, the moon will be setting at approximately midnight, which will keep the sky darkened enough that—barring cloud cover—you should be able to see up to 15 meteors per hour.

And the weather looks like it will cooperate, with clear skies overnight, though a chilly high of 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

For those who don’t know their Orionids from their Perseids, there’s something special about this meteor shower. With the second-fastest entry velocity of all the annual meteor showers, meteors from the Orionids produce yellow and green colors and occasionally produce an odd fireball.

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