The peak of the Orionid meteor shower coincides nicely with a First Quarter Moon this year. After the September lull, observers look forward to the Orionids in part because they are produced from debris shed during historic passes of the famous Halley’s Comet.
The Orionids could reach a zenithal hourly rate of 20 to 30 meteors per hour overnight on Oct. 21/22, the night of maximum, corresponding to an observable rate of 15 to 20 per hour between 2 a.m. and dawn as the radiant in northeastern Orion rises higher in the sky.
The shower is active from Oct. 2 through Nov. 7, and rates away from the maximum are much lower. The radiant rises by 11 p.m. local daylight time. As with all meteor showers, the best observing time is in the early morning, when you are on the leading side of Earth and heading directly into the meteor stream.
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