Sunday night is the predicted peak for the Orionid Meteor Shower. The best time to look for these pieces of Comet Halley debris hitting our atmosphere is after midnight, especially in the hours before sunrise.

“In 2024, the Orionid meteor shower should rain the largest number of meteors on the mornings of October 20 and 21. The morning of October 21 could provide the richest display of meteors,” according to EarthSky.org.

The Orionids are expected to produce about 10 to 20 meteors per hour. You can find viewing tips here.

You don’t need any equipment or knowledge to enjoy the show. Just find a place where you can lay out a lounge chair or blanket and look at the sky.

Beginning at about 1 a.m. EDT in the east, the constellation for which this meteor shower is called “Orion the Hunter” will hang low over the horizon and will rise higher as the night progresses. A meteor that is part of the shower can be traced back to Orion. Sporadic meteors that are not part of the shower can also be seen at night.

By dawn the shower should improve and Orionids can appear anywhere in the sky, but looking straight up will give you the widest viewing area. This is where the lounge chair or blanket comes in handy.

If you’re a city dweller, you can still see the brightest Orionids, as long as you’re not staring into a street lamp or sitting between tall buildings. It is worth watching the Orionids from the outskirts, as long as lights and obstacles are minimized as best as possible.

Weather will be a big factor, so check the WTOP Weather page. Clear skies are forecast!

The other big factor is the bright waning moon that will be in the sky before the Orionids. Try to block the moon from your observing spot. The Orionids are bright, so there’s a good chance of capturing these rice-sized meteors from Comet Halley.

Bright Jupiter is at the bottom right of the sky. Mars will appear reddish in color to the lower left of Jupiter and will be near two bright stars in the constellation Gemini. The winter constellations will also be present. All in all quite an evening.

One last thing: Comet A3 is fading but is still visible in the west an hour after sunset. Use these maps to help you observe the sky.

Enjoy the shower and the night sky with family, friends and/or your partner. Some food and drinks are an added plus. Be sure to bring extra clothes as it can get chilly at night.

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