Everything You Need To Know About This Week’s Stunning Orionid Meteor Shower

Last week, the night sky gave us a spectacular supermoon. This week, it's premiering another sight: the Orionid meteor shower. Named after the constellation Orion the Hunter, the meteors may be visible in the sky between October 2 and November 7. According to EarthSky, that's when Earth crosses through the remains from one of the Orionid's comets — Halley's Comet, to be exact. Even though you have almost a month to glimpse the annual meteor shower, NASA reports that your best chances of seeing a full light show are in the early hours of Friday, October 21. Start looking out late Thursday night and if you're up past midnight, and make sure to go outside for the full live-action experience. This year, you can expect around 15 to 20 meteors per hour. Orionid meteors are known for being some of the fastest and brightest in the sky. There is one downside of having an incredible full moon so close to the peak of the Orionid meteor shower, though. The light from the moon might make it difficult to make out the meteors, which look their best against a completely dark sky. Still, given how gorgeous recent moons and meteor showers have been, it's definitely well worth your time to look up.