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Meteor shower · October

Orionids 2027

Fast meteors left behind by Halley’s Comet, best in the hours before dawn in late October.

Peak nightOct 22–23
Rate at peakup to ~30/hour
Moon at peak51% · rises 23:24
Best time from London00:45–05:45
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The Orionids from London

Times for London, United Kingdom

On the night of Oct 22–23, the radiant climbs to 54° in the south while it’s dark in London. A 51%-lit Moon is up through the best hours, and its light will hide the fainter meteors. The best window here is about 00:45–05:45.

  1. 19:44Astronomical darkness begins
  2. 21:54Radiant rises
  3. 23:24Moon rises, 51% lit
  4. 00:45Best window begins (moonlit)
  5. 05:20Radiant highest, 54° up
  6. 05:45Dawn twilight begins
0°30°60°90°18:0021:0000:0003:0006:00RadiantMoon (51%)
Meteors can appear anywhere in the sky. Traced backward, their trails meet at the radiant; the higher it is, the more you’ll see.

How to watch

The radiant rises around mid-evening and is highest before dawn, so the last few hours of darkness are best. The Orionids can be seen from both hemispheres, and activity stays similar for a few nights around the peak.

The radiant is north of the bright orange star Betelgeuse, near Orion’s raised club, rising late in the evening. Up to about 30 meteors an hour at the peak under ideal skies (the zenithal hourly rate). The shower is active from about 11 Oct to 7 Nov.

Get as far from streetlights as you can and give your eyes at least 20 minutes to adjust to the dark. Every glance at a bright phone screen resets that, so keep it away or use a red night mode.

Lie back on a reclining chair or a mat and take in as much sky as possible, looking about halfway up rather than straight at the radiant. Meteors can appear anywhere; the ones far from the radiant have longer trails.

You need no equipment. Binoculars and telescopes show only a tiny patch of sky, so they make you miss meteors. Dress warmly, even in summer, and plan to watch for at least an hour: meteors come in clumps and lulls.

Where do they come from?

Each October Earth passes through dust shed by Halley’s Comet over many orbits. The grains hit the atmosphere at about 66 km/s and burn up, often leaving short-lived glowing trails. In May, the same stream gives the Eta Aquariids.

Very fast meteors, often with glowing trains that linger for a second or two.

Active
11 Oct – 7 Nov
Peak
around 22 Oct 2027
Rate at peak (ZHR)
~30 per hour
Speed
66 km/s
Parent body
Halley's Comet (1P/Halley)
Radiant
Orion

Calendar

Every major shower’s peak in 2027. Dates are approximate (±1 day) and given in UTC.

Questions

Do I need to be awake at the exact peak?
No. Orionid rates stay similar for a day or two either side of the peak, and the hours before dawn are always best.
Why are Orionids so fast?
Halley’s Comet orbits the Sun backward relative to Earth, so its dust meets us almost head-on.
How many meteors will I really see?
Fewer than the peak rate. The zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) assumes a perfectly dark sky with the radiant straight overhead. With some light pollution, moonlight or a low radiant, a fraction of that is typical.
What is the radiant?
The point in the sky the meteors seem to come from. It’s a perspective effect: the dust travels in parallel paths, like snowflakes seen from a moving car. The higher the radiant, the more meteors you see.
Do I need a telescope or binoculars?
No. Your eyes are best because meteors can appear anywhere in the sky. Optical aid narrows your view far too much.
Know the best hour for your sky.SkyMate can remind you when the radiant is up and the sky is dark where you are.Join the waitlist

Sources: Global Meteor Network (activity and peak solar longitudes, CC BY 4.0); Moorhead, Clements & Vida 2022 (radiants and speeds, CC BY 4.0); NASA Meteoroid Environment Office (typical peak rates; no NASA endorsement implied). Peak dates and positions computed by SkyMate. Data & Licences

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