Orionids Meteor Shower 2012: Where to Watch in Lorton

The offspring of Halley's Comet are about to put on quite a show over the skies of Lorton.

Earth will pass through a stream of debris from Halley's Comet beginning this Monday, which will give us the benefit of the annual Orionids meteor shower—though you probably won't see much until a few days later.

Fortunately, there are still a lot of places in Lorton where light pollution is not a problem, and you may be able to get a good view right from your driveway our outside a nearby park. 

Space.com has these tips and more:

Get as far away from city and other artificial lights as possible. Meteor showers are best viewed in really dark skies. Try to keep the moon out of your field of vision, too.

The shower should be at its peak the night of Saturday, Oct. 20, until just before dawn on Oct. 21. 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.

There's no question about where to look for this one. Meteor showers get their names from the constellations in the sky where they can be spotted. And what's easier to spot than Orion the Hunter?

The stars tend to shoot from Orion's club, pierce Taurus the Bull, the Gemini twins, Leo the Lion and finally, Canis Major, home of Sirius, the brightest star we can see (aside from the sun).

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.

To make sure you get the best view possible, remember to check the weather forecast and conditions before you head outside to watch.

Do you know of a great place to view the meteor shower? Tell us in the comments section!