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2017 Orionid meteor shower peaks this weekend

Posted at 12:04 PM, Oct 21, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-21 12:04:04-04

It’s time for another meteor shower! Watch little bits of Halley’s Comet streak by during the Orionid shower this October.

Its peak is between October 20 and 22, 2017, but you could see meteors as early as October 15, and as late as October 29.

If you want to watch, this weekend is best.

The peak observing window is between 2 a.m. and 5 a.m., when Orion is higher in the sky, but before the rising sun ruins viewing. A new moon means moonlight won’t interfere with observing in 2017.

Find a place with dark skies and head there after Orion rises. You might want to bring camp chairs, a blanket, cocoa or coffee, and snacks.

There’s no need to bring binoculars or telescopes. Just settle in and look up!

The shower takes its name, as many do, from the constellation from which meteors seem to radiate: Orion the Hunter, the stately constellation now striding overhead nightly.