Meteor shower
Orionids
Fast Halley's Comet meteors around a dark October sky.
Next peak Thursday, October 22, 2026
T-00:00:00:00DHMS
Peak rate
~20 meteors/hr at peak
Active
26 Sep – 22 Nov
Radiant
Orion
Speed
66 km/s
Parent body
Comet 1P/Halley
Moon at peak
Peak-night moon 84% lit — washes out fainter meteors
About the Orionids
The Orionids are the second of Halley's Comet's two annual showers. They peak at a respectable 20 an hour, with very fast meteors that frequently leave persistent trains and the occasional bright fireball.
Meteors radiate from near Orion's upraised club, rising before midnight and riding high through the pre-dawn hours.
How to watch
- Best after midnight, with Orion well up in the southern sky.
- A broad, flat maximum means the nights either side of the peak are nearly as good.