Get ready stargazers! The Orionid meteor shower peak begins tonight, welcoming a spectacular natural light show that could see a flurry of shooting stars spawned by Halley’s Comet brighten the dark, moonless sky.
The 2025 Orionid meteor shower peak begins overnight on Oct. 20-21, when 10-20 shooting stars may be visible streaking across the night sky from a point of origin known as a “radiant”, located close to the red star Betelgeuse in the constellation Orion.
While tonight is the peak, Orionid shooting stars can be seen from Oct. 2 to Nov. 7 as Earth passes through the debris trail shed by comet 1P/Halley. During that time, particles cast off from that ancient body collide with our planet at speeds of up to 41 miles per second (66 kilometers per second), burning up in a magnificent display as they’re overwhelmed by the friction of atmospheric entry.
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One of the best times to spot Orionid meteors will be in the pre-dawn hours of Oct. 21, when the constellation Orion will be positioned high above the southern horizon in a moonless sky for viewers in the U.S. The shower peaks around the monthly new moon phase, meaning that there’ll be no natural light pollution to ruin the cosmic show.
First, locate the red star Betelgeuse using a smartphone astronomy app. Then, pick a patch of sky 40 degrees away in the direction of your local zenith, which is the point directly above your head. Remember, the width of your outstretched fist accounts for roughly 10 degrees in the night sky! Here, the meteor trails will be at their longest.
Be sure to allow 20-30 minutes for your eyes to adapt to the dark, and use a red light if needed in order to avoid ruining your night vision. Don’t forget, we’re in astronomical autumn now, so be sure to wrap up warm and to let someone know where you’re observing from if you head to a remote dark sky location.
Robert Lunsford of the American Meteor Society notes that there will still be plenty of meteor activity after the peak starts, so there’s no need to worry if clouds appear to ruin the show that first early morning show! “The Orionids will peak in the period of October 21-23,” Lunsford told Space.com in an email. “Rates will fall very slowly after these dates so the mornings of October 24-26 will still provide hourly rates in excess of 10 per hour when viewing from rural dark skies. Note by then the radiant will have moved eastward into western Gemini so folks should not be surprised to see these meteors shooting from that constellation instead of Orion”.
The Orionids aren’t the only meteor shower active over the coming weeks. Both the Northern Taurid and Southern Taurid meteor streams are currently active, which could give rise to spectacular fireball events in the period leading up to their separate peaks in early November.
Editor’s Note: If you would like to share your astrophotography with Space.com’s readers, then please send your photo(s), comments, and your name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
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