The Orionid meteor shower will be active from October 2 to November 7, 2026, and will peak on the night of October 21-22, according to the American Meteor Society.
The Orionid meteor shower occurs when Earth passes through the debris of ice and dust left behind by the famous comet 1P/Halley.
Orionid meteor shower in 2026
When to see: The Orionid radiant – the point from which the meteors appear to radiate – rises in the late evening and reaches its highest point in the sky at dawn. So the shower will be best visible in the pre-dawn hours on October 22, 2026, when the radiant climbs high in the sky.
You won’t see the Orionid meteor shower in the early evening, as the shower’s radiant will still be below the horizon.
The Orionid meteor shower has a broad, flat peak that can last for a few days. In 2026, the shower will be worth watching from October 20 to 24, after which its activity declines rapidly.
Where to look: Look high in the southeastern sky in the pre-dawn hours to see the constellation Orion, from which the Orionid meteor shower radiates.
Orion’s Belt—the three bright stars close together almost in a straight line—will help you identify the constellation.
Also, the blue-white Rigel—the brightest star in Orion—and the ruby-red Betelgeuse—the second-brightest star in Orion—can help you identify the constellation. Both stars are easily visible even from light-polluted areas. The radiant of the Orionid meteor shower is located to the left of bright Betelgeuse.
Expected meteors during peak activity: The Orionids are a medium strength shower, producing around 20 meteors per hour during peak activity under ideal conditions.
Moon phase during peak activity: The moon will be in the waxing gibbous phase and 80% illuminated during peak activity. As the waxing gibbous moon sets after midnight, the moonlight will slightly interfere with the Orionids in 2026. Watch for the shower during the dark hours before dawn, after the moon sets.
Visibility of the shower: The Orionid meteor shower will be favorable to observers in the Northern Hemisphere, especially those located in the low-northern latitudes (from 10°N to 25°N).
Observers located in the low-northern latitudes will see about 98% of the shower’s activity, as the radiant climbs almost overhead (about 80° above the horizon) in the pre-dawn hours.
The Orionid meteor shower will be visible from the Southern Hemisphere as well, but at a lower rate and just before dawn.
Meteor velocity: Orionid meteors enter the Earth’s atmosphere at about 65.7 km/s (236,520 km/h), which is very close to the maximum attainable velocity of 72 km/s, so they appear very swift.
How the Orionid meteor shower got its name
Meteor showers are usually named after a constellation in which the radiant lies during peak activity or after a bright star closest to the radiant.
The Orionid meteor shower got its name from the constellation Orion, as the shower’s radiant is located in the constellation Orion during peak activity.
Halley’s Comet is the parent of two meteor showers
The famous Halley’s Comet produces two annual meteor showers: the Eta Aquariids in May and the Orionids in October. The showers are collectively known as the Halleyids.
When Earth intersects the orbit of Halley’s Comet at the ascending node—when the cometary debris comes from below the Earth’s orbit and encounters Earth in October—it produces the Orionids in the Northern Hemisphere.
Six months later, when Earth intersects the orbit of Halley’s Comet at the descending node—when the cometary debris comes from above the Earth’s orbit after swinging around the sun and encounters Earth in May—it produces the Eta Aquariids in the Southern Hemisphere.
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