Overview
- The Orionids are expected to reach maximum activity overnight on Oct. 21–22, with the best views after midnight and into the pre-dawn hours when Orion climbs high in the sky.
- A waxing gibbous Moon will brighten the early night but is forecast to set around 02:00–03:00 a.m. local time in many places, leaving a limited 2–4 hour window of darker sky before sunrise.
- The shower comes from debris left by Halley’s Comet; particles hit Earth’s atmosphere at about 66 kilometers per second and about half of visible Orionids can leave lingering glowing trains.
- Under ideal dark-sky conditions observers may see roughly 10–20 meteors per hour and the International Meteor Organization gives the shower a zenithal hourly rate near 20, though real counts are usually lower.
- To improve your chances, go to a dark, rural spot, allow 20–30 minutes for eyes to adapt, lie back and scan 40–90 degrees from Orion’s radiant, and try nights before or after the peak if moonlight or clouds interfere.