When is the Orionid Meteor Shower 2017? How to watch the Orionids THIS WEEKEND

Stargazers are looking forward to the peak of what NASA describes as “one of the most beautiful showers of the year” on Friday and Saturday night. 

The Orionids have been visible since October 2 but the shower is set to peak in the small hours of Saturday October 21 and Sunday October 22.  

The shower might not be the strongest in the astronomical calendar, but you can still expect to see about 10 to 20 meteors per hour at peak time, according to Earthsky.org.

How to watch the Orionid Meteor Shower in the night sky

As with all meteor showers, the Orionids are best viewed from a rural location away from any light pollution.

For the best results, get up early and watch the shower in the darkest hours before the dawn.

You do not need a telescope because the shooting stars can be seen with the naked eye. 

How to watch the Orionids online 

For those who are not able to view the Orionids in person, robotic telescope service Slooh will be live streaming the entire shower online. 

The stream will start at 1am BST on Saturday (8pm EDT on Friday) and will include commentary and analysis from a number of experts. 

Slooh veteran Paul Cox will be joined by long-time astronomer Bob Berman and astronomy writer Dr Paige Godfrey.

The show will air on Slooh.com but you need to be a member to gain access to the stream.

What is the Orionid Meteor Shower?

The Orionids are that originate from the dust left behind by Halley’s Comet. 

Halley’s Comet, also known as Comet 1P/Halley, shoots past the Earth every 75 years but we collide with its debris twice annually.

You can also see pieces of the comet during the Eta Aquarids in May, according to NASA’s Bill Cooke. 

The Orionids get their name because they radiate from the constellation Orion the Hunter – one of the brightest and most recognisable clusters of stars in the night sky. 

As Earth passes through Halley’s orbit, pieces of rock plunge into our upper atmosphere and burn up, causing beautiful shooting star displays.