Watch the sky sparkle and shine as the Orionids Meteor Shower puts on its annual light show this October.

Why See The Orionids Meteor Shower?

This year, the annual meteor shower will have to compete with the waning gibbous moon, but for those who get a glimpse of the celestial space event, it’s sure to put on an impressive show. The Orionids Meteor Shower is also expected to bring with it a slew of shooting stars. Sit back and enjoy the show—it might just be your lucky night.

When Is The Orionids Meteor Shower?

The Orionids Meteor Shower began Oct. 7 and runs through Nov. 7 but is expected to light up the sky at its peak on Thursday, Oct. 20. Although moonlight may make the shower harder to see this year, astrologists say the best time to spot the cosmic light show is right before dawn on Friday, Oct. 21.

How To Spot The Orionids Meteor Shower

As a relatively modest space show, this shower is best viewed from a wide-open, dark area. The Orionids Meteor Shower is known for producing around 25 fast and relatively faint meteors per hour. The rain of light originates from a radiant point near the Orion the Hunter constellation, but since the meteors fall in all directions they can be seen across the night sky.

Where Does The Orionids Meteor Shower Come From?

The Orionids Meteor Shower is created by debris left behind from Halley’s Comet, which last appeared in the inner parts of our solar system in 1986. Although many think of these light beams as shooting stars, experts say they’re actually space particles entering Earth’s atmosphere and vaporizing just about the surface.