How and when to watch the Orionid meteor shower

The Orionids meteor shower puts on a stunning light show every fall and is thought to be one of the most beautiful showers of the year, according to NASA. Meteorites are famous for their brightness and speed.

Orionids occur when Earth moves through the remains of ice and rocky dust from Halley's Comet. According to NASA, this space debris interacts with our atmosphere, producing bright streaks in the night sky.

While the meteor shower has been active since September 26 and will continue until November 22, it will peak during the pre-dawn hours of Sunday, October 20 and Monday, October 21.

Skygazers in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres will be able to see the Orionids, weather permitting.

Most of the United States will have a clear view of the meteor shower Sunday night, according to the FOX Forecast Center. However, residents of northern areas, such as Seattle, Bismarck, North Dakota, and Bangor, Maine, will experience some serious cloud cover.

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To get the best view, NASA said people in the Northern Hemisphere should lie on their backs under a clear night sky with their feet facing the southeast. People in the Southern Hemisphere should do the same, but their feet should be facing northeast.

After spending less than 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adjust and the meteors will become visible, according to NASA.

The Perseid meteor shower on Wednesday, August 11, 2021, in Spruce Knob, West Virginia.

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(NASA/NASA)

EarthSky said they noticed that during the peak, the waning gibbous moon would be higher in the sky and may block a clear view of the shower. They recommended blocking the moon from the place where the meteor showers are seen.

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This method also applies to man-made lights. Bill Cook, who leads NASA's Metroid Environment Office at Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, recommends finding a location away from city and street lights.