Orionid meteor shower 2026: Peak date, viewing tips and what to expect

Next week is going to be fun for sky watchers as the Orionid meteor shower will peak overnight on October 21-22.

The parent comet is Halley’s comet as Earth passes through the trail of debris left behind by the famous comet, the particles slam into our atmosphere at high speeds.

Orionid meteors are famous for being exceptionally fast which means they travel roughly 41 miles per second. They frequently produce bright streaks.

Speaking about the peak rates, stargazers can typically expect to see around 10 to 20 meteors per hour under dark-sky conditions.

However, viewing conditions will be challenging this year as a 74 percent-lit waxing gibbous moon will obscure meteors earlier in the night, but it sets a few hours after midnight.

To avoid the worst of the moonlight, the optimal viewing window is during the dark hours just before dawn, after the Moon has set or dipped low in the sky.

Meteors will appear to originate from a radiant near the star Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion above the south-eastern horizon in the US.

For longer, glowing meteor trains, look 40–90 degrees away from the radiant, avoid artificial light.

So find a dark place to watch this celestial event and give your eyes 20–30 minutes to adjust to the dark, leaving telescope and binoculars behind as you can enjoy them with the naked eye.