Oct 21, 2022 - Science

Orionid meteor shower to light up sky Friday

Kelly Tyko

night sky with stars and meteors — The Orionid meteor shower lights up the night sky at Yuli County on October 21, 2020 in Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region of China. Photo: Xue Bing/VCG via Getty Images

Look up to the sky for streaking meteors and fireballs: The Orionid meteor shower is expected to peak overnight tonight, Space.com reports.

Driving the news: There’s expected to be relatively little moonlight to get in the way of spotting “spectacular displays of up to 80 meteors an hour,” the website notes.

This meteor shower is an annual event at the end of October when the Earth passes through meteoroids left behind by Halley's Comet, The New York Times explains.

Of note: NASA said it's "considered to be one of the most beautiful showers of the year."

How to see Orionid meteor shower

What we're watching: The Orionids are viewable after midnight and until dawn, NASA said, offering the following tips to view the meteors:

Find an area well away from the city or street lights.
Bring a sleeping bag, blanket or lawn chair.
Lie flat on your back with your feet facing southeast if you are in the Northern Hemisphere or northeast if you are in the Southern Hemisphere, and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible, NASA said.
In less than 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors.

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