October’s Orionid meteor shower is here: Where and when to view

The Orionid meteor shower is set to peak, when several streaks of meteors could be visible.

The Orionid meteor shower is active each year from about Oct. 2 to Nov. 7, according to the American Meteor Society. This year’s peak began Monday and will end Thursday. The Orionids are known for its brightness and speed – each meteor can streak up to 148,000 mph.

According to EarthSky.org, the Orionid meteor shower should produce at least 20 meteors per hour in a dark, moonless sky. And on Tuesday, the new moon guarantees clear skies free from lunar interference in the early morning.

When and where to look in the sky

Through Thursday, start keeping an eye out for Orionid meteors in the very early hours of the morning, starting after 1 a.m. through dawn.

You can enjoy views of the meteor shower from anywhere in the U.S., weather permitting of course, but it would be best to find an open space where you can gaze up. The best time to see the shower is under a dark, moonless sky, according to EarthSky.org.

The reason the Orionid meteors are named after the constellation Orion is that they appear to originate or radiate from the same region of the sky.

Path of the Orionid meteor shower

According to NASA, the Orionid showers are among the most spectacular of the year and reach their peak in mid-October.

Where do the Orionid meteors come from?

Halley’s comet produced two meteor showers, the first of which is the Eta Aquarids, which occurs each year in May, according to Timeanddate.com. The other meteor shower is the Orionids.

Most meteor showers are named after constellations, stars and even asteroids.