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| Orionid meteors grace our skies annually as Earth passes through a region filled with debris from Halley’s Comet. |
As 2024 continues to delight both amateur and professional skywatchers, the October skies promise yet another spectacular event: the Orionids Meteor Shower, peaking in the early hours of October 20 and 21. This celestial display follows a year that has already offered a total solar eclipse in April and a partial lunar eclipse during September’s Harvest Moon.
The Orionids are renowned for their bright, fast meteors, but visibility this year may be hampered by a bright waning gibbous Moon, which can outshine fainter meteors. Nonetheless, observers in both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres should have the opportunity to see a number of meteors between midnight and dawn on both mornings.
“Find an area well away from city lights,” advises Bill Cooke, head of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office. “Bring a blanket, lie flat on your back, and let your eyes adjust to the darkness. You’ll start seeing meteors in less than 30 minutes.”
This meteor shower is particularly special because its parent comet, Halley’s Comet, is one of the most famous comets in history. Halley’s Comet, which takes 76 years to complete its orbit around the Sun, last passed close to Earth in 1986 and will return in 2061. The Orionids are remnants of the comet’s debris, making this shower a tangible link to Halley’s legacy.
The Orionids cap off a busy year for celestial events, which included the awe-inspiring total solar eclipse that lasted over four minutes and the vibrant Perseids meteor shower in August. Looking ahead, skywatchers can also anticipate the Geminid and Ursid meteor showers in December, ensuring 2024 remains a memorable year for stargazers.
