Ames Weather Forecast for Orionids Meteor Shower 2012 Peak

Skies should be clear for at least a little while for those who plan on watching the meteors streak across Ames' skies later this week.

The Orionids meteor shower began Monday and peaks overnight Saturday into Sunday mornings.

The show is put on compliments of Halley’s comet: As Earth passes through its debris, a show of shooting stars is visible, provided the weather cooperates.

Bill Gallus, a professor in Iowa State University's meteorology department, said it can be hard to predict the weather this far out, but it looks like at least parts of Friday and Saturday might be cloudy with some rain.

“It does not look like there will be any sort of big weather system with constant clouds/rain around. Instead, it looks like there will be some periods of probably OK skies and some hours of clouds,” he said.

There should be some good hours on at least one of the nights to see meteors, Gallus said.

The moon is doing its part this year, setting at about midnight, which will keep the sky darkened enough that -- barring cloud cover -- up to 15 meteors will streak across the sky per hour.

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 Tauraus the Bull, the Gemini twins, Leo the Lion and then, Canis Major, home of Sirious, the brightest star seen on earth -- well, aside from the sun.

If you want to take your chances, McFarland Park outside Ames is just one place to give a gander.