The October Orionids are expected to reach their peak on the night of October 21-22. Moonlight may make them harder to see early in the night, astronomer Alexander Ivanov and NASA say.
The Orionids, produced by debris from Halley’s Comet, are active from October 2 through November 7. Alexander Ivanov, head of the Kuban State University astrophysical observatory, told RIA Novosti that observers may see about 20-25 meteors an hour at the peak, though fewer are expected to be especially bright.
Visibility estimates vary with viewing conditions. NASA’s October guide forecasts around three to six meteors per hour from suburban areas and a few more under darker skies. Moonlight can wash out faint streaks, so visibility should improve after the Moon sets.
Ivanov said the radiant will be higher in the sky closer to 4 a.m., when the Moon is expected to have set. Orion can be found by locating the three stars of its belt. The radiant lies near Betelgeuse, with Bellatrix and Rigel also marking the constellation.