Skywatchers across Thailand and the Northern Hemisphere can catch the Orionid meteor shower peaking on October 21–22, 2026. Produced by Halley’s Comet debris, the celestial display will deliver up to 20 meteors per hour, though a waxing Moon will brighten early-night skies.
Orionid Meteor Shower Peaks October 21–22
The Orionid meteor shower is active from October 2 to November 7. The event reaches its peak activity during the night of October 21–22 as Earth passes through the densest part of the associated comet’s cosmic debris.
While the peak occurs on those two dates, activity can remain relatively high for a few days around the period, giving observers a broader window to spot shooting stars. Observers in Thailand can begin watching from around 10:30 p.m. on October 21 and continue until dawn the following morning, as reported by NARIT. The Orionids can be seen from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, although viewing conditions vary depending on your location.
Halley’s Comet as the Cosmic Source
The Orionids originate from ice and dust debris left behind by 1P/Halley, widely known as Halley’s Comet. The famous short-period comet orbits the Sun roughly every 76 years. Each time Halley returns to the inner solar system, its nucleus sheds ice and rocky dust into space that eventually becomes not only the Orionids every October, but the Eta Aquarids in May.
Halley last passed through the inner solar system in 1986 and will not be seen again by casual observers until 2061. Each time the comet returns, its nucleus sheds rocky dust into space, creating debris streams that Earth crosses twice a year to produce both the Orionids in October and the Eta Aquariids in May.
Pre-Dawn Hours Offer Best Viewing Conditions
NASA describes the shower as one of the year’s most beautiful, with meteors known for their brightness and speed.
To counter moonlight interference, observers should wait until the pre-dawn hours when the Moon sets and skies will be darker, or until after the Moon sets as the Orionid radiant climbs higher.
Constellation Radiant and Where to Look
The Orionids take their name from their radiant point in the constellation Orion, from which the meteors appear to spread across the sky. Orion is one of the easier constellations to recognise and is surrounded by several prominent stars, including the orange-red Betelgeuse and blue-white Rigel, while Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky, can also be seen nearby in the constellation Canis Major.
Meteors are visible anywhere in the night sky. No telescope is required because the meteors can appear across a wide area of the sky, and viewing with the naked eye provides a wider field of vision.