Stargaze › Meteor Showers › Orionids
Peak: 21 October 2026, around 10:00 UTC
Active: 2 October 2026 – 7 November 2026
Rate at peak: up to 20 meteors/hour (ZHR)
Speed: 66 km/s ·
Parent body: Comet 1P/Halley ·
Radiant: Orion
Halley's Comet makes a second appearance each year in October via the Orionids - fast, bright meteors that radiate from near Betelgeuse in Orion. Around 20 per hour at peak, with the broad maximum stretching over 5 to 7 nights so you're not chasing a single evening.
The radiant in Orion is best placed from midnight to dawn. Give your eyes a full 15 minutes to adjust before you start - pupils dilate slowly and you'll miss the fainter ones otherwise. October nights can be crisp and clear in the UK, which makes for excellent viewing.
Visible equally well from both hemispheres. Orion is one of the most recognisable constellations in the sky, making the radiant easy to find. The broad peak means flexible observing over multiple nights.
Surprise outbursts between 2006 and 2010 pushed rates to 50 to 75 ZHR for several years running, puzzling researchers. The leading theory involves Earth passing through a denser filament of Halley's debris trail. Rates returned to normal afterwards.
The Orionids peak on 21 October 2026 at around 10:00 UTC. The shower is active from 2 October 2026 to 7 November 2026.
Under dark skies at peak you can expect up to 20 meteors per hour (ZHR). Light pollution and moonlight reduce that figure.
The radiant lies in the constellation Orion, but meteors appear across the whole sky. The radiant in Orion is best placed from midnight to dawn. Give your eyes a full 15 minutes to adjust before you start - pupils dilate slowly and you'll miss the fainter ones otherwise. October nights can be crisp and clear in the UK, which makes for excellent viewing.