Look Up! Dark Skies to Enhance Orionid Meteor Shower This Week

Look up, sky fans; we're in luck when it comes to the Orionid Meteor Shower this year. A new moon will provide the perfect background for the meteor shower, which is scheduled to peak Tuesday, Oct. 21 and last into the morning of Oct. 22.

The Orionid shower occurs once per year, when Earth's atmosphere hits debris left behind by Halley's Comet, according to Earth Sky. When the debris hits Earth's atmosphere, they vaporize about 60 miles above our planet's surface, causing us to see "shooting stars."

At the beginning of the evening, you should look to the east. There won't be as many meteors at that time but as the night progresses, you should see more, according to Accuweather. In fact, during its peak you may see as many as 25 meteors per hour.

If the skies are cloudy on the 21 and the 22, though, you still have a chance to get in on the action. The Orionid shower runs from roughly Oct. 17 to Oct. 25, which means that while it will peak on the 21, you still have a chance to see some meteors.  Because the light of the moon won't hamper the light from the meteors, you should be able to get a fantastic view, as long as you stay away from city lights.

That's not all, either. If you're hampered by bad weather, you can still see the shower through Slooh's live broadcast of the meteor shower, beginning at 8 p.m. EDT and continuing for six hours.