Orionid meteor shower peaking this week
While the Orionid meteor shower will remain active through early November, it will peak late on Friday, October 21st, into the early morning hours of Saturday, October 22nd. The Orionid meteor shower has produced up to 80 meteors an hour, but around 20-30 meteors an hour are more likely. The meteor shower is a result of Earth passing through the debris left behind from Comet 1P, otherwise known as Halley’s Comet.
This year’s show should be especially good, weather permitting, because there will be a Waning Crescent Moon during the peak, which means the moon will be decreasing or getting smaller with time. So there should not be as much light pollution from the moon to compete with as there was during the Perseids meteor shower earlier this year when a Stuergon Super Moon was going on.
How to view the 2022 Orionid Meteor Shower
The Orionid meteor shower is visible in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere and will emanate near the Orion constellation. You might have heard of this constellation if you have ever looked for Orion’s belt. If you are in the Northern Hemisphere, Orion is located in the southeastern sky; if you are in the Southern Hemisphere, it will be visible in the northeastern sky. While these meteors will radiate out from the area of Orion, you won’t need to look right at the constellation to see them, as they will be visible all across the entire night sky.
Additionally, you will want to get away from lights in the darkest area possible and allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness for about 20-30 minutes.
