Tiny pieces of Halley’s Comet will be hitting Earth for the next week in the form of the Orionids Meteor Shower. The tail of Halley’s Comet is made of dust and small pieces of ice and rock that has broken off the comet itself, and now follows an independent orbit around the Sun. That orbit crosses the Earths twice each year, with the Orionids being the second pass. The event started last night and will continue for a week or so, with the peak display coming Wednesday night. Since we will be within a few days of a new moon, viewing should be good as long as you can get away from city lights. This is one of a series of meteor showers you can see each year, and the International Year Of Astronomy viewing tips will get you ready. Lest anyone was concerned, Halley’s Comet itself, the main ball of ice and rock, will not be impacting the Earth any time in the next thousand years or so; just the tiny pieces that broke off.
