Peaks October 21–22
Next peak: October 21, 2026 · up to ~20 meteors/hour from Orion.
The second of Halley's Comet's two annual showers. Like its springtime sibling the Eta Aquariids, the Orionids are fast and often leave glowing trains; some years deliver bright fireballs. The radiant, near Orion's club, is well placed for both hemispheres.
Watch after midnight when Orion has cleared the horizon. Rates of 15–20 per hour reward observers under dark, moonless skies.
You don't need a telescope or binoculars — meteor showers are best enjoyed with the naked eye and the widest view of the sky you can find. Get well away from city lights, give your eyes 20–30 minutes to adapt to the dark, dress warmly, and look up. The meteors can appear anywhere; they only trace back to the radiant in Orion.
The meteors streak out from the constellation Orion — find it, and you've found the radiant.
Parent comet
The Orionids are debris shed by 1P/Halley
See the comet that laid down this trail of dust.