Orionids (Oct)

The Orionid meteor shower is active between 16th and 27th October, peaking 20th or 21st October, and can produce zenithal hourly rates (ZHRs) of over 20 meteors per hour. However, during some years ZHRs of around 50-70 meteors can be observed as the Earth passes through a denser debris stream.

Periodic comet 1P/Halley is responsible for the debris stream that creates the Orionids (Halley’s comet is also responsible for the Eta-Aquarids), created during its 75 year orbit around the Sun.

Please download our Orionids radiant finder chart or see the star map below  (clicking will open a larger version) for the location of the radiant (both produced in TheSkyX Professional Edition).

View the meteor shower calendar