The Orionid meteor shower peaks this week. Here’s what you need to know

Sky watchers around the world will witness a brilliant celestial spectacle this week as the Orionid meteor shower dots the sky with brilliant streaks of light.

The meteor shower, which is sometimes known to produce fireballs, is expected to peak at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, according to EarthSky.

The Orionids don’t have a clear peak, “so if you’re clouded that night, don’t despair,” said Robert Lunsford, fireball reporting coordinator for the American Meteor Society. “Go the next night, or even the next two nights, and you’ll see almost the same activity.”

This year, the Orionids peak at the same time as a new moon, when the satellite’s dark side faces Earth, according to The Old Farmer’s Almanac, so bright meteors won’t compete with the moonlight.

On a clear day, you can expect to see 10 to 20 meteors per hour.

Orionids are fast-moving meteors, and “most of them only last a fraction of a second,” Lunsford said. “The brightest ones produce persistent trains, which are smoke trails after the meteor disappears.”

If you’re lucky, you might spot more than one meteor shower, as the Southern Taurids are also active and are expected to peak on November 4-5 around the time of the full moon.

The Orionid meteors burst from the constellation Orion, while the Taurids, which are much slower, originate further west from Taurus. “It’s kind of like they’re fighting,” Lunsford said. “Slow meteors shoot east toward Orion, and fast meteors shoot west toward Taurus.”

For best viewing, look toward the southern sky and plan to be outside around 10 p.m. Monday night or between 4 and 5 a.m. Tuesday morning local time, Lunsford advised.

The Orionid meteor shower occurs when Earth passes through debris left by Comet 1P/Halley, according to NASA.

“Halley’s Comet actually crosses Earth’s orbit twice,” Lunsford explained. It enters Earth’s orbit in October, producing the Orionids, and exits in early May, causing a downpour known as Eta Aquariid, he added.

Halley’s Comet was last seen from Earth in 1986. The comet’s orbital period is about 76 years, so scientists expect it to reappear in our skies in 2061, according to NASA.

Here are the peak dates for other meteor showers expected this year, according to the American Meteor Society and EarthSky.