Orionid Meteor Shower Peak

This year on October 21, the night sky puts on one of autumn's great free shows as the Orionid meteor shower reaches its peak. The shooting stars are tiny pieces of Halley's Comet burning up overhead, a gift from the most famous comet in history.

OCT21

Wednesday, October 21Every year on October 21

days to go

Roots: The Orionids are debris from Halley's Comet, officially comet 1P/Halley.
Also on Oct 21: Global Dignity Day · International Nacho Day · World Iodine Deficiency Day
Hashtag: #OrionidMeteorShowerPeak

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3 ways to celebrate

OUTSIDE

Head Out After Midnight

The shower is visible from both hemispheres after midnight. Find a dark spot away from city lights and give your eyes time to adjust to the dark.

BEFORE DAWN

Wait for Moonset

A bright waxing gibbous Moon lights the evening on peak night. The best viewing comes after the Moon sets, in the last hours before dawn.

OUTSIDE

Look Toward Orion

Meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Orion, just north of the bright star Betelgeuse. Scan the wide sky around the Hunter rather than staring at one small patch.

Plan ahead

Orionid Meteor Shower Peak is observed on October 21 every year. Here is where it lands for the next ten years, handy for planners, marketers and party people.

2026Wed, Oct 21this year

2027Thu, Oct 21

2028Sat, Oct 21

2029Sun, Oct 21

2030Mon, Oct 21

2031Tue, Oct 21

2032Thu, Oct 21

2033Fri, Oct 21

2034Sat, Oct 21

2035Sun, Oct 21

2036Tue, Oct 21

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Fast facts

About 20Meteors per hour at peak from a dark site, and 50 to 75 per hour in rare years.

Orionid meteors streak in at about 41 miles (66 kilometers) per second, among the fastest of any shower, and often leave glowing trains.

The story

Every Orionid meteor is a speck of Halley's Comet. The comet rounds the Sun every 76 years and last visited in 1986; it will not return until 2061, but each pass leaves a fresh dust trail behind, and Earth crosses that trail twice a year, feeding the Eta Aquariids in May and the Orionids in October.

Read the full story

The shower is active from October 2 to November 7, 2026, with the peak night on October 21-22. The meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Orion, just north of the bright star Betelgeuse, the upraised club of the Hunter. Because they hit the atmosphere at about 41 miles (66 kilometers) per second, Orionids are among the fastest meteors of any shower, and the fast ones often leave glowing trains that last several seconds.

In 2026 a bright waxing gibbous Moon lights the evening sky on peak night, so the best viewing comes after the Moon sets, in the last hours before dawn. The shower is visible from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres after midnight, so wherever you are, the small hours of October 22 are your window.