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Orionids Set to Peak This Week, With Best Views on Oct. 21 Under New Moon

A New Moon offers ideal darkness as Earth crosses debris from Halley’s Comet.

Overview

  • Peak activity is expected from late Oct. 20 into the early hours of Oct. 21, with favorable viewing continuing through Oct. 23.
  • The display is visible to the naked eye across both hemispheres, with the best results after midnight from dark, open locations.
  • Meteors originate from fragments of comet 1P/Halley, whose debris stream the planet encounters each October.
  • The radiant lies in the constellation Orion as a sky guide, though meteors can appear anywhere across a wide field of view.
  • Typical rates are moderate—about 15 to 20 meteors per hour under dark skies—with some reports noting higher counts depending on conditions.