Orionid Meteor Shower Peaks Thursday

The Orionid meteor shower is expected to reach its peak overnight on Wednesday, October 21, and into the early hours of Thursday, October 22, 2026. The annual celestial event offers observers in Egypt and across the Arab world an opportunity to watch fast-moving meteors produced by debris left behind by Halley’s Comet.

Under ideal viewing conditions, the shower may produce around 20 meteors per hour. Actual visibility depends on sky conditions, light pollution, the radiant’s position, and moonlight.

The best viewing opportunity is generally after midnight and before dawn, particularly after the Moon sets, when darker skies can improve the chances of spotting faint meteors. However, the waxing gibbous Moon, with approximately 74% illumination, may obscure some of the fainter meteors while it remains above the horizon.

The Orionids occur as Earth passes through dust and particles left by Halley’s Comet. When these particles enter Earth’s atmosphere at speeds of about 66 kilometers per second, they interact with atmospheric gases and produce brief streaks of light.

The shower can be observed with the naked eye, without a telescope or binoculars. Observers are advised to choose a dark location away from city lights, allow their eyes 20 to 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness, and avoid looking at bright phone screens.

Although the shower remains active from October 2 to November 7, the peak period offers a particularly good opportunity to observe this annual astronomical event, weather permitting.