Halley's Comet last passed through the inner solar system in 1986, and it won't be back until 2061. But you can see pieces of it every year. As the comet orbits the Sun, it sheds a trail of dust and grit. Twice a year Earth passes through that trail, and the debris burns up in our atmosphere as shooting stars. In May it's the Eta Aquariids. In October, it's the Orionids.
When to Watch in 2026
Active: early October to early November. Rate at peak: around 20 meteors per hour under dark skies. Moon: a bright waxing gibbous, roughly three-quarters lit, setting in the small hours. Best time: after moonset until the first light of dawn.
The Moon is the complication this year. Around the peak it is bright and up for the first half of the night, and moonlight washes out the fainter meteors. The fix is timing: set an alarm for the early morning. The Moon sets around 2 to 3 a.m. local time, and between then and the start of dawn the sky is properly dark. That pre-dawn window is also when the shower's radiant is highest, so it's the best time to watch in any year.
Don't worry if the 21st is cloudy. The Orionids have a broad, flat peak, and the mornings a day or two either side can be nearly as good.
Where to Look
The meteors appear to come from a point in the constellation Orion, near his raised club, called the radiant. That's where the shower gets its name. But you don't need to stare at Orion. Meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, and the ones far from the radiant tend to have longer, more striking trails.
The best approach is to lie back, get comfortable, and take in as much sky as possible. If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, facing roughly south-east to south works well before dawn. The Orionids are visible from both hemispheres.
What Makes the Orionids Special
Orionid meteoroids hit the atmosphere at about 66 km per second, which makes them among the fastest of the major showers. That speed means quick, bright streaks, and a fair number of them leave glowing trains, faint smoky trails that can linger for a second or two after the meteor has gone. The occasional fireball is possible too.
Twenty an hour sounds like a lot, but they don't arrive on a schedule. You might see three in a minute, then nothing for ten. Give it at least an hour, which also gives your eyes time to adapt to the dark.
๐ก Don't confuse meteors with satellites. A meteor is a streak lasting under a second. A steady light gliding across the sky for minutes is a satellite or the ISS. Our satellite-spotting guide explains how to tell them apart.
How to Get the Most Out of It
Get away from lights. Even a small move from a street-lit front garden to a dark park makes a big difference. A darker sky can easily double the number you see.
Give your eyes 20 minutes. Night vision builds slowly, and one look at a bright phone screen resets much of it. If you need light, use a red torch or your phone's red-light mode.
Lie down and dress warmly. A reclining chair or a blanket on the ground is far better than craning your neck. Pre-dawn October nights are cold, often colder than people expect, so bring layers and a hot drink.
Leave the telescope at home. Meteors move too fast and appear too unpredictably for telescopes or binoculars. Your eyes, with the widest possible field of view, are the right instrument.
If You Miss It
The year's best shower is still to come. The Geminids peak around December 13โ14, producing far higher rates than the Orionids, and in 2026 the Moon will be only a thin crescent, which makes this December one of the better Geminid years. Mark it in your calendar now.
Meanwhile, the planets are always there. Our live sky guide shows which planets are visible tonight from where you are.