The Orionid Meteor Shower Peaks on 21–22 October: How to Watch It

October 17 — The annual Orionid meteor shower will reach its peak on the night of 21–22 October 2026, and you can try watching in the early hours of 22 October, after the Moon sets and before sunrise.

Under ideal conditions, the zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) is expected to reach 20 meteors an hour, and both hemispheres have a chance to see them. This year, however, moonlight will interfere with viewing, so observers are advised to choose the hours before dawn after the Moon has set, and to get as far from city lights as possible.

The Orionids are active from 2 October to 7 November, and are mainly caused by Earth passing through the dust and debris left along its orbit by Halley’s Comet (1P/Halley). When these particles meet Earth’s atmosphere they enter it at high speed and glow, creating meteors visible to the naked eye. Orionid meteors travel at about 66 km/s, and some leave glowing trains that last several seconds; occasionally there are bright fireballs.

During this year’s peak the Moon is a waxing gibbous, about 80% illuminated on the night of 21–22 October, and its bright light will hide some of the fainter meteors. NASA advises observers to wait until the Moon has set; in the few hours before dawn, when moonlight fades and the radiant climbs higher, conditions are relatively better.

The radiant of the Orionids lies near Betelgeuse, the bright star in Orion, but meteors can streak across any part of the sky, so there is no need to stare at Orion all the time. When observing, pick a spot with a wide view and little light pollution, and let your eyes adapt to the dark for about 20 to 30 minutes. No telescope or other special equipment is needed — the naked eye is enough.

A reminder: hourly meteor counts are ZHR estimates — the number of meteors visible in an hour under an ideal dark sky with the radiant overhead. The number you actually see is usually lower. Twenty per hour is the zenithal rate under ideal dark-sky conditions and does not mean every observer will really see that many. City lights, moonlight, weather, sky transparency and the height of the radiant all affect the result. The Orionids are usually a moderate shower, and in recent years activity has been low to average, so the actual number seen is usually below the ideal prediction.