It’s your second chance to see a meteor shower in October. The second annual October meteor shower, the Orionids, is a fairly reliable meteor shower. The radiant of the Orionids is the constellation of Orion, specifically its bright star Betelgeuse. The Orionid meteors come from the remains of Halley’s Comet, which passes by Earth approximately every 76 years, but releases two meteor showers into the Earth’s atmosphere each year: the Orionids in the fall and the Eta Aquarids in May. The previous October meteor shower was the Draconids. Universal Historical ArchiveEngraving that represents the constellations of Orion and Taurus. Orion is a prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible around the world. The Orionids are known to be bright and fast, and fall weather usually provides ideal conditions for viewing them. According to NASA, the Orionids can display up to 20 meteors per hour on a good night, although some showers have been known to reach 60 to 70 meteors per hour. The evening and early morning of October 21-22 are just the peak; You may be able to see this shower any time from October 2 to November 7. Anadolu A meteor streaks across the night sky during the Orionid meteor shower in the Suzuzoren village of Usak, Türkiye, on November 1. 08, 2018. As with any meteor shower, it is best to find a location away from light pollution and allow your eyes to adjust to the night sky. Typically this can take 15 to 20 minutes. The shower’s radiant will appear to be the left arm of Orion, in the northeastern night sky, around midnight ET. The best viewing may be between midnight and 2 a.m. ET, or after moonset, which is around 2:30 a.m. ET. You’ll want a night of clear weather to get a better look at the meteors. Fortunately, conditions tonight seem pretty clear. Check your local forecast or check here. Check your local light pollution here and find a dark sky area near you here.
