Seven Years of Halley Dust
History's first known periodic
comet Halley (1P/Halley)
returns to the inner Solar System every 75 years or so.
The famous comet made its last appearance to the naked-eye in 1986.
But dusty debris from Comet Halley
can be seen raining through planet Earth's skies
twice a year during two annual meteor showers, the
Eta Aquarids in May
and the
Orionids in October.
Including meteors near the shower maximum on October 21,
this composite view
compiles Orionid meteors
captured from years 2015 through 2022.
About 47 bright meteors are registered in the panoramic night skyscape.
Against a starry background extending along the Milky Way,
the Orionid meteors all seem to radiate
from a point just north of
Betelgeuse in the familiar constellation of the Hunter.
In the foreground are mountains in eastern Slovakia near the city of Presov.