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In The Photos of the Readers of La Vanguardia we can relive the night show of last night and early morning from Sant Fost de Campsentelles, in Vallès Oriental, with the fascinating Chi Orionidas and the magic of the Lunar Corona.
The Chi Orionids (XOR) are a minor meteor shower that occurs each year between November 26 and December 15. Peak activity occurs on December 2, when up to 3 meteors can be seen per hour.
The Chi Orionids are caused by comet 2P/Encke, which passes near Earth every 3.3 years. Chi Orionid meteors are usually white or yellow in color and have a speed of about 45 kilometers per second.
They originate when a meteoroid, a small fragment of rock or metal, enters the Earth's atmosphere at a very high speed. The meteoroid heats up and vaporizes as it enters the atmosphere, producing a bright line of light known as a meteor.
To see the Chi Orionids, it is best to find a dark, clear place away from city lights. If possible, place your chair or blanket on a flat surface and watch the sky for at least an hour. The Chi Orionids can be seen anywhere in the world, but they are most visible in the northern hemisphere.
The Chi Orionids are a wonderful opportunity to see shooting stars and enjoy the beauty of the night sky. Here we see below some additional data about the Chi Orionids:
For its part, a lunar corona is an optical phenomenon that occurs when moonlight is refracted by ice crystals in cirrus clouds. Cirrus clouds are tall, thin clouds that are made of ice crystals.
When moonlight passes through these clouds, the ice crystals act like a lens, refracting the light and creating a halo around the moon.
The lunar crown can be of various colors, but the most common is white. The intensity of the corona depends on the size and density of ice crystals in the clouds.
I have captured these images collaborating with the SPMN-CSIC Network, coordinated by the Institute of Space Sciences (CSIC/IEEC). At this link you can see a thread and video on the SPMN-CSIC Network.
