Orionid Meteor Shower | 21st-22nd October

If you’re a stargazer out enjoying the 2026 Orionid Meteor Shower, you might expect to see up to 20 meteors per hour.

The Orionids meteors are generated from Halley’s Comet, which last graced our night sky in 1986. In December 2024, the comet began its nearly 40-year journey back past the Earth and is due to appear in our skies in June 2061.

The Orionid meteor shower appears to come from the constellation Orion, which is visible just about everywhere on Earth.

Is the Orionid meteor shower worth me getting out of bed for? 

It is worth getting out of bed for the Orionids this years, but we advise that it’s best to wait until after the Moon has set at 3am on the morning of 22 October. 

When and where can I see the Orionids meteors?

The Orionid Meteor Shower is active from 2nd October to 7th November. At the shower’s peak around 3am on 22nd October, you could see up to 20 meteors/hour. Look toward the northern eastern horizon.

Use the above image as a guide. Astronomical images provided by SkySafari, a Simulation Curriculum Company, All rights reserved www.simulationcurriculum.com.

What is a meteor shower?

A meteor (commonly called a “shooting star”) is an unexpected, brief streak of light you might see in the night sky. The streak of light is caused by space debris, which can be as tiny as a single grain of sand and travelling at speeds of up to 75km per second when it hits our atmosphere. When this debris burns up in Earth’s atmosphere, it causes a brief, bright streak of light in the sky, and it’s usually only visible for a few seconds.

A meteor shower is a celestial spectacle where large numbers of meteors, or shooting stars, streak across the night sky. These dazzling events occur when Earth passes through the trail of debris left by a comet or other object that has entered our Solar System and is orbiting around the Sun.

Meteor showers are visible to the naked eye and offer you a mesmerising display of bright streaks of light. We think they add a touch of cosmic wonder to the night.

Where is the best place for me to watch a meteor shower?

The best place to see any meteor shower is away from bright city lights, somewhere that the night sky is dark with no moonlight. Bright moonlight and light pollution make it harder to see fainter meteors, however you may still be able to see the brighter ones.

We recommend that you travel out to a dark sky location at one of WA’s Astrotourism Towns. If you’re an astrophotographer, these give you an excellent opportunity to capture meteors over some of WA’s iconic landscapes.

Do I need a telescope or binoculars to see the Orionids?

You don’t need either a telescope or binoculars to see a meteor shower. Meteor showers make for a great time to gather with friends under the stars. Simply roll out your favourite picnic rug, pack the drinks and snacks, and start counting how many “shooting stars” you see!

The predicted hourly rate of meteors you’ll see presumes you’re viewing them in a perfectly dark sky and that the shower is directly overhead, so your numbers might vary. But keep your fingers crossed for a spectacular show!

Something interesting

Meteor showers are named after the constellation where the “shooting stars” appear to be coming from. If you have a handy smartphone app that helps you identify objects in the night sky, search for the constellation, and you’ll be looking in the right direction

You might like to report a fireball!

Be a citizen scientist and report meteor sightings. If you happen to see a very bright meteor (often referred to as a “fireball”), the fireballs team based at WA’s Curtin University would love to know. Report your fireball sighting with the International Meteor Organization.

The International Meteor Organization is a great place to discover more about all things meteors, check out their Meteor Shower Calendar, and you can even become a member.