Each year towards the end of October, Earth passes through the cosmic dust left behind in the wake of 1P/Halley’s Comet, which results in an interstellar parade of raining meteors.
The Orionids, named after their point of origin near the Orion constellation, are beautiful enough to rival many other famous showers.
Peter Jedicke, honorary president of theRoyal Astronomical Society of Canada, told Express.co.uk: “The Orionids are not often viewed by astronomers. This meteor shower is famous because it derives from material trailing behind the best-known comet, Comet 1P/Halley.
“But the anticipated rate of meteors is only a fraction of the popular summer meteor shower, the Perseids.
“Orionid meteors often leave longer trails than Perseid meteors, and have a more-pronounced bluish colour.
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How to watch the Orionid meteor shower online?
Those who missed out on the opportunity to observe the meteor shower in the wild, still have the chance to watch it thanks to robotic telescope service Slooh.
The community of astronomers and star gazing enthusiast focused its telescopes on the night sky on Saturday at 1am BST for a live stream and commentary of the event.
Longtime Slooh host Paul Cox was at hand with astronomer Bob Berman and astronomy writer Dr Paige Godfrey to walk the audience through the shower.
“Each October, Earth’s orbit propels the planet through the dust shed by Halley’s Comet,” Slooh said.
“The impact of the comet dust with our atmosphere transforms it into a glittering rain of fire: the Orionids.
“The annual Orionids meteor shower is not considered the showiest of meteor showers, but it is generally a reliable one; at its peak it should produce between 15 and 20 meteors per hour.”
To watch a replay of the five-hour live stream, you simply need to visit the Slooh website.
There is a small catch however – you need to register an account to view it, but Slooh offers a free ‘Slooh Crew’ membership on top of its monthly paid plans.
Where to watch the Orionids in the sky?
The good news is that the Orionids streak across the sky from early October up until November 7, so you still have a chance to catch them in the wild.
Mr Jedicke advised all star gazers to head out before midnight to start seeing the falling stars before they peaked around 2am local time.
He said: “Before midnight, observers can expect Orionids to travel from the east, either rising to the top of the sky and over to the north, or across the sky to the west.
“After midnight, the constellation Orion will be high in the south, as seen from Canada or Europe, and so Orionid meteors might radiate in any direction from Orion. That’s why they are called Orionids.”
For the best results you should look for areas devoid of urban light pollution and check you local weather report for signs of clouds, so that you can get a clear view of space.
You can safely ditch the telescope when you head ou, though a pair of binoculars could be helpful – bear in mind that the meteors burn up in the atmosphere at 66km/s.