How to Watch the Bright and Speedy Orionid Meteor Shower

Between the aurora borealis, the comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, the Draconid meteors and the full Hunter’s Moon, October has already been an exciting month for skygazers in the Northern Hemisphere. Now, you can add the Orionid meteor shower to that list.

The Orionids fill the night sky each fall from late September to mid-November. This year, they’re expected to peak before dawn on Sunday and Monday, October 20 and October 21, and they should be visible from both hemispheres, writes NASA’s Wayne Smith.

Light from the moon—which will be in its waning gibbous phase—will likely overpower many of the meteors. But the Orionids are known for being especially bright, so if you’re lucky, you’ll still spot a few.

Curious about the Orionids? Here’s what to know about the popular meteor shower.

Where the meteors come from

Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through the debris trail left behind by a comet or asteroid. Some of this debris—primarily, rocks, ice and dust—enters the atmosphere, where it burns up and emits a streak of light. When the conditions are right, Earth-bound observers can witness these streaks, nicknamed “shooting stars.”

The Orionids have a famous parent comet: 1P/Halley, also known as Halley’s comet. Officially discovered in 1705 by English astronomer Edmond Halley, 1P/Halley is in the middle of its 76-year journey around the sun. Measuring 5 miles by 9.3 miles, the comet won’t return to the inner solar system until 2061, according to NASA, following its last visit in 1986. But in the meantime, Earth will repeatedly pass through its debris field—which is good news for meteor aficionados.

If you stayed up late in May, you may have witnessed the Eta Aquarids, another meteor shower that results from Halley’s comet.

Like other showers, the Orionids get their name from their radiant, or the area of the sky from which the meteors appear to originate. Here on Earth, the meteors appear to be coming from the constellation Orion, the mythological hunter with his easily recognizable “belt.” More specifically, the radiant is north of Betelgeuse, the bright, red star that represents Orion’s right shoulder.

Tips for viewing the Orionids

From a total solar eclipse in April to a partial lunar eclipse during September's Harvest Moon, 2024 has had numerous celestial events to watch.

Up next, the Orionid Meteor Shower will light up the pre-dawn skies on October 20 and 21.

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— NASA Marshall (@NASA_Marshall) October 16, 2024

The Orionids are fast, bright and beautiful, according to NASA. They travel at speeds of up to 41 miles per second, or 147,600 miles per hour, which puts them among the zippiest meteor showers visible from Earth. (The Leonids, which are the world’s fastest annual meteor shower, travel up to 160,000 miles per hour.)

Why are the Orionids so quick? They’re speedy because Earth is moving in one direction, while particles from the inbound leg of Halley’s comet are moving in nearly the opposite direction, per EarthSky’s Deborah Byrd. (The Eta Aquarids, for comparison, result from Earth passing through the comet’s outbound leg—the debris trail made as it’s leaving the solar system.)

At the Orionids’ peak, roughly 23 meteors may be visible per hour in dark conditions with no moon, according to NASA. Unfortunately, the sky will be far from moonless during this year’s peak. On October 20 and October 21, the moon will be transitioning between full and its third-quarter phase, shining brightly at about 83 percent illuminated. It will likely “severely hamper” views of the Orionids, per the American Meteor Society. In addition to the moon, the Orionids could also be obscured by clouds.

Still, because the Orionids move so quickly, they are known for leaving behind glowing “trains” that can last for up to several minutes—so keep your eyes peeled. The Orionids may even produce unusually bright meteors known as fireballs.

To give yourself the best opportunity to see them, wake up before dawn on October 20 or October 21, then head to the darkest place you can find. The ideal meteor-watching site has little to no light pollution—so, for example, you could visit a certified Dark Sky sanctuary or a remote wilderness preserve.

“Find an area well away from the city or street lights,” says Bill Cooke, who leads NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office, in a statement. “Come prepared with a blanket. Lie flat on your back and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible. In less than 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt, and you will begin to see meteors.”

If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, point your feet toward the southeast. If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, face northeast. Though the Orionids appear to originate from Orion, try not to fix your gaze on the constellation. NASA says it’s better to look 45 to 90 degrees away from the radiant, which will make the Orionids appear longer.

Sarah Kuta | READ MORE

Sarah Kuta is a writer and editor based in Longmont, Colorado. She covers history, science, travel, food and beverage, sustainability, economics and other topics.