The Orionids Are Currently Active—How to See One of the Year's Most Impressive Meteor Showers
The Orionids are known for their bright and fast shooting stars.
One of the most impressive meteor showers of the year is currently active! The Orionids will light up the night sky from September to November, putting on their most spectacular show on October 20 when they reach their peak.
The Orionid meteors come from Halley's comet. They're caused when the comet makes its way through orbit, leaving rock and dust debris in its wake. The debris accumulates and crosses through Earth's path, eventually becoming the Orionids. The last time Halley's Comet was seen by casual observers was in 1986, and the comet will not enter the inner solar system again until 2061, according to NASA. But despite this fact, the Orionids occur every year.
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The meteors from Halley's comet are quick, traveling at about 148,000 miles per hour into Earth's atmosphere, NASA reports. Fast meteors can leave glowing trails that last for several seconds to minutes and can sometimes even become fireballs. When viewing the Orionid meteor shower, look for prolonged explosions of light.
The point in the sky from which the Orionids appear to come is the constellation Orion, hence the meteor shower's namesake. But you should not look only toward the constellation of Orion to view the shooting stars—they are visible across the entire night sky. According to NASA, it's better to watch the Orionids from 45 to 90 degrees away from the radiant, which causes them to look longer and more spectacular.
This year, the best time to view the Orionids is during the early morning hours of October 20 and 21. The meteor shower is visible in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres during the hours after midnight. Find an area away from the city or streetlights and lie on your back with your feet facing southeast if you are in the Northern Hemisphere or northeast if you are in the Southern Hemisphere.
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