A dazzling meteor shower will rain down shooting stars over Metro Vancouver this weekend, but locals won't be able to see it .
This month, two meteor showers are viewable from the Lower Mainland. The first, the Draconid meteor shower, peaked around Oct. 8, but the second one, the Orionids meteor shower, which peaks this weekend between Oct. 21 and Oct. 22, puts on a more impressive display.
The American Meteorological Society notes that the Orionids shower can sometimes reach "high strength activity," putting it on par with the Perseid meteor shower (one of the brightest meteor showers of the year). On average, the Orionids produce roughly 10 to 20 shooting stars per hour but in exceptional years they may produce up to 50 to 75 per hour.
Due to cloudy skies in the weather forecast, according to V.I.A.'s Downtown Vancouver Weatherhood station, it will be very difficult to observe the Orionids shower in Metro Vancouver this weekend.
Other meteor showers visible from Metro Vancouver in 2023
After the meteor shower duo in October, three more will dazzle the sky before year's end.
In November, the Leonids can be spotted at its peak between Nov. 17 and 18.
Two more meteor showers, including a much more impressive celestial display, will shower the night sky in the last month of the year.
Geminid meteor shower 2023
One of the brightest meteor showers of the year -- the Geminids -- peaks just before the holiday season on December 13 -14, and it produces an army of shooting stars. Specifically, this dazzling astral display is meant to produce more than one meteor per minute - which means up to 100 of the bright stars per hour.
The Geminids originate from the constellation of Gemini, but they may be viewed across the night sky and are expected to rain down shooting stars all night long.
This year, the Geminid meteor shower peaks near a new moon, meaning that the skies will be darker than usual and that stargazers may be able to see more meteors in the sky, reports The Old Farmer's Almanac.
Trailing after the Geminid shower are the Ursids which will speck the sky with shooting stars just a few days before Christmas, peaking between Dec. 22 and 23
With files from Elana Shepert.
