The splendid ones Orionidsthe shooting stars of October, are coming: from the 20th to the 23rd of this month the meteors will be at their peak, giving us three romantic evenings. This year the observability conditions are excellent, therefore Let’s prepare a long wish list!
As the UAI explains, this year we can really “bet” strongly on the Orionids, which will be at the peak in the total absence of the Moonin the New phase on October 21st.
What the Orionids really are
As stated on the website ofAmerican Meteor Societyevery October the Earth passes through the flow of debris arriving from the Halley’s cometproducing the annual meteor shower of Orionids (among other things, the outgoing part of this same trail of debris also brings us every spring the swarm of Eta Aquarids).
In particular the activity of Orionids it begins in the first days of October, but it is only in the middle of the month that the Earth encounters the densest part of the flow. And in reality the shower is generally of medium intensity, producing at most 15-20 meteors per hour under dark sky conditions, only on rare occasions, the rate is tripled
Where and how to observe the 2025 Orionids
This year, the maximum is expected for the mornings of October 21st to 23rd, in the total absence of the Moon, which will be New on October 21st. Far from sources of light pollution, observers could therefore see up to 20 Orionid meteors per hour.
Orionid meteors will appear when their radiant, or the point in the sky from which they appear to come, rises above the eastern horizon. On the map the sky of October 21, 2025 at approximately 11.00 pmbut the best observation actually occurs between 1:00 am and sunrise, when the radiant will exceed 30° above the horizon.
On nights of maximum activity, the Orionid radiant is located in the northeastern part of the constellation of Orion (for which the shower is named), 8 degrees north of the bright star Betelgeuse.
This year the observation conditions will be excellent – writes the association – The New Moon on October 21st will guarantee dark skies without lunar interference during the early hours of the morning. The only obstacles will be cloud cover and city lights (…) For the best experience, find a safe, dark place, away from city lights. The darker your surroundings, the more meteors you will see
We prepare many wisheswe add.
Sources: UAI / American Meteor Society
