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halley's comet

Meteor shower created by Halley's Comet to peak Sunday

The meteor shower created by the debris trail of Halley's Comet will peak Sunday evening, and NASA is providing a live view of the celestial fireworks show.

Prime viewing of the annual Eta Aquarid meteor shower should be around 9 p.m. ET, providing stargazers with 30 to 40 meteors an hour, according to NASA. A camera at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Hunstsville, Ala., will provide live video of the event from 8 p.m. ET to 3 a.m. ET Monday (see below).

The space agency will also host a live chat with Bill Cooke, … Read more

Orionid meteor shower promises a weekend treat

Around this time of year, the Earth passes through a trail of space debris left over from Halley's Comet's 76-year orbit around the sun, giving us a prime angle to a spectacular shooting-star show.

The Orionid meteor shower's peak -- expected to last from 10:30 p.m. on Saturday to 5 a.m. on Sunday across most of the U.S. -- could produce up to 25 meteors per hour, says Bill Cooke, head of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. Check in with star-gazing Web site Spacedex to see when Orionid specifically occurs near you. … Read more