Here are four weather showers that should not be missed this fall

This fall promises an exciting view of four meteors that will illuminate the night sky. If you are a skywatcher or amateur astronomer or if you know someone who likes to watch meteors, this article is for you.

Many meteor showers occur once a year when our planet traverses space debris that has fallen from comets that slide. These rapidly moving pieces of rock fall into the Earth's atmosphere and, when they burn, leave fascinating rays of light across the sky that many people enjoy watching. In addition, watching meteor showers does not require any equipment; all you need is a black dot and blanket to keep you cool.

"With the meteor showers, you want to see as much sky as possible – and the best way to do that is just to use your eyes," said Bill Cooke of the Meteorological Environment Office of NASA in Huntsville, Alaska. "With a telescope or binoculars, you will only see a small part of the sky."

Cooke also provided tips for watching a meteor shower. According to him, it is best to go out at night and find a dark place away from city lights and pollution, then look straight up. Even though a cell phone may be useful, it is best to store it because its light can prevent your eyes from fully adapting to darkness.

Here are four meteor showers to watch this fall.

The draconid meteor

The first meteor shower to mark this fall is the Draconid meteor shower, which occurs when the Earth passes through the debris left by the comet 21P / Giacobini-Zinner. The meteor shower hit its peak on Monday, but if you do not see it this week, there will be more this fall that will be more spectacular.

According to Cooke, draconids are unlikely to produce more than two meteors per hour; the best views of the shower come right after dusk.

The Orinoid Meteor

The annual period of Orinoids is wide and is between 2 October and 7 November. This year, they will culminate on October 21 and produce a better night show than the Draconids, with 20 to 30 meteors per hour. According to Cooke, the best view of the meteors will be around 3 am local time when the full moon sets and the sky darkens.

The Orionids actually come from Halley's comet, and they are among the brightest and fastest meteors. Debris entering our atmosphere travels at around 150,000 km / h, about three times faster than conventional meteors.

"They come to see us almost from the front, so they burn fast, in the high atmosphere, and they do not last very long," says Cooke.

The meteor shower taurides

The Taurid meteor shower rains on November 12 and comes from the Comet 2P Encke. Like other meteor showers, the Tauridae will provide the best view possible after midnight, around 3 am local time.

"Most meteors could not cross the atmosphere and burn for miles above our heads," Cooke said.

What makes this meteorite shower particularly spectacular is that the Tauridae are quite large and bright. Some may survive the combustion process in our atmosphere and descend to Earth. It's because of their size, which offers a brilliant and spirited show, said Cooke.

The meteor shower Leonid

The meteor shower Leonid is the last of the meteorite rains this fall, but it is nonetheless extraordinary. The light show will take place early in the morning, from November 17 to 18, when Earth encounters the fallen debris of the comet Tempel-Tuttle. Although this meteor shower usually does not produce many meteors an hour, they fall even faster than the Orionids, moving at 161,000 miles an hour. According to Cooke, these are the fastest meteors. If you want to see the Leonids, get out at 2am local time.

"The Leonids are always showering early in the morning," Cooke said. "Mother Nature does not respect people's sleep much."

That's all for the best meteor showers this fall. What is your favorite meteor shower and why? Let us know in the comments.