When is the Orionid meteor shower?
The Orionids have been visible since the start of October, but will peak later tonight (October 20) going in to the early hours of tomorrow (October 21) morning.
The new moon rose last night, meaning that there won’t be any moonlight in tonight’s sky to ruin the shower.
If you miss the Orionids tonight, the shower will also be active tomorrow (October 22) night.
Where can you see the Orionid meteor shower in the USA?
The shower will be visible across the country (and across the world in fact).
The best places to see the spectacle will have clear skies, and be away from artificial lights such as street lamps.
For the best experience, head to a secluded place out of the city and away from light pollution.
Be sure to pack a sleeping bag so that you can watch the shower lying down.
No telescope or any other specialist equipment is necessary to watch the Orionids – just lie down and look up.
NASA’s Jane Houston Jones said: “Use binoculars to look for bright asteroid 7 Iris in the constellation Aries,” Ms Houston Jones said.
“Newbies to astronomy should be able to spot this magnitude 6.9 asteroid even from the city.”
Where will have the best viewing conditions in the UK?
Clouds may obscure the best views of the Orionids tonight.
A Met Office spokesman said: “There’s quite a lot of cloud around this evening and overnight. The best chance of seeing them will be in the early hours before dawn.”
The east of England, including East Anglia, the South East, Lincolnshire and the Midlands, will get the best views from about 3am onwards.
Where will have the best viewing conditions in the US?
The eastern and southwestern US is expected to have the best viewing conditions, with clear skies forecast.
Late night fog may develop in some eastern areas which could obscure the Orionids.
Those in the northwestern and central US may not be as lucky, as clouds could block sky-gazers’ views.
Smoke from the California wildfires could also create poor viewing conditions across the state.
What is the best time to watch the Orionid meteor shower?
The best time to watch any meteor shower is between midnight and dawn.
At its peak, the Orionids will produce up to 30 meteors per hour.
What is the Orionid meteor shower?
The Orionid shower is created by debris from Halley’s Comet that come into contact with Earth’s orbit every October.
As the pieces of rock come into our atmosphere, they burn up leaving trails of light.
The shower takes its name from the Orion region of the sky from where it originates.