Orionid Meteor Shower 2026 Peak

What this countdown tracks

The clock counts down to the peak of the Orionid meteor shower on the night of October 21 into October 22, 2026 — the autumn half of the annual showers caused by Halley's Comet, with a zenithal hourly rate of about 20 and a broad multi-night maximum.

About this celestial event

The Orionids are debris shed by 1P/Halley on the outbound leg of its orbit (the Eta Aquariids being the inbound counterpart). Halley last passed perihelion in 1986 and returns in 2061, but the dust trail it has laid across millennia continues to feed both annual showers. Orionid meteors strike Earth's atmosphere at about 66 km/s — tied with the Eta Aquariids as the fastest of any annual shower — producing swift, often greenish trails.

The radiant sits just north of the constellation Orion, near the star Betelgeuse, which rises in the east around 22:00 local time at mid-northern latitudes. Unlike most showers, the Orionids have a relatively flat, broad peak — observed rates can be near maximum for three or four consecutive nights, which gives a longer observing window than narrow-peak showers like the Quadrantids.

The Orionids are also famous for occasional fireballs and for "trains" — glowing ionised channels that linger in the upper atmosphere for several seconds after the meteor itself has passed.

Best viewing

For 2026 the peak is the night of October 21 into October 22, with strong activity for two nights either side. The Moon is in waxing crescent phase and sets in the early evening, leaving the prime pre-dawn hours dark.

Best observing time is from about 23:00 local time onward, when Orion is high in the south-east. Lie back, give your eyes 20 minutes to adapt, and look toward the zenith rather than directly at the radiant. Expect 15–25 meteors per hour from a dark site, fewer from suburban skies.

Past peaks

• 2025 Orionids — typical broad peak with confirmed ZHR ~20
• 2023 Orionids — moderate dark-sky peak
• 2006 Orionids — strong outburst with ZHR ~70 observed by IMO
• 1933 Orionids — recorded peak rates near 30 from European observatories
• 1839 Orionids — earliest detailed Western observation, by Edward Herrick

How to observe

NASA's Meteor Watch, the American Meteor Society, the IMO, EarthSky and Sky & Telescope publish predicted peak times and observer guides. The Virtual Telescope Project, Subaru's Hawaii feed and several US observatory feeds stream the peak overnight. No equipment is needed — naked-eye observation under a dark sky from about 23:00 local time onward is the standard approach.

Related countdowns

The Orionids are paired with the Eta Aquariid meteor shower 2026, the spring Halley shower. Follow on the autumn calendar with the Leonid meteor shower 2026 and the Geminid meteor shower 2026. The Saturn opposition 2026 sits in the same observing window.

FAQ

When do the Orionids peak in 2026? The night of October 21 into October 22, 2026, with a broad multi-night maximum. What is the Orionids' parent body? Halley's Comet (1P/Halley) — the same comet produces the May Eta Aquariids. How many meteors per hour will I see? About 20 from a dark site; 5–10 from suburban skies. Where should I look? Toward the zenith with the radiant near Orion rising in the east-south-east after 22:00 local time.