Outdoors · 6 min read
Orionid Meteor Shower 2026: When to Watch and Will the Sky Be Clear?
Every October, Earth passes through the trail of dust left by Halley's Comet, and the result is the Orionid meteor shower: fast shooting stars that seem to come from the constellation Orion. In 2026 the shower peaks around October 21-22. The rates are modest and a bright moon gets in the way for part of the night, but with a clear sky and a dark spot you can still see plenty. The weather is the biggest unknown.
Photo: an Orionid meteor and the moon, Brocken Inaglory, Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)
- Peak: around October 21-22, 2026, with a broad maximum; the mornings of October 21, 22 and 23 are all worth a try.
- Rate: about 10 to 20 meteors per hour under a dark, clear sky, fewer from a town or city.
- Moon: a bright moon, 73 to 89% lit, interferes until it sets around 3 a.m.; the darkest window is from about 3 a.m. until dawn.
- Weather: before dawn in late October, the sky is clear or mostly clear on about 4 in 10 mornings in New York, but fewer than 1 in 5 in London.
- Origin: the meteors are dust from Halley's Comet, hitting the atmosphere at about 41 miles (66 km) per second.
In this article
When is the Orionid meteor shower in 2026?How many meteors can you see?The moon gets in the way, but not all nightSky forecast: will it be clear?Will the sky be clear?Where and how to watchHalley's Comet, twice a yearFrequently asked questionsWhen is the Orionid meteor shower in 2026?
The Orionids are active from about October 2 to November 7, according to Royal Museums Greenwich, with the peak around October 21-22. Predictions of the exact moment differ: the RASC Observer's Handbook, quoted by EarthSky, gives 18:00 UTC on October 21, while Dutch observers expect the maximum on the morning of October 22. In practice it makes little difference, because the Orionids have a broad maximum: for about five days around the peak, you can see at least half of the top rate. The best hours are between about 3 a.m. and the first light of dawn, when the moon has set and the radiant, the point in Orion where the meteors seem to come from, is high in the southern sky.
How many meteors can you see?
The Orionids are a medium-sized shower, not as strong as the Perseids in August or the Geminids in December. Under a dark sky with no moon, EarthSky advises expecting about 10 to 20 meteors per hour, and Royal Museums Greenwich lists a rate of 15 per hour. From a town or city you will see far fewer, as light pollution hides the fainter meteors. The Orionids are among the fastest meteors of the year, at about 41 miles (66 km) per second, and some leave a short glowing trail.
The moon gets in the way, but not all night
In 2026 the moon is a waxing gibbous, about 73% lit on October 21 and 82% on October 22, and its light washes out the fainter meteors. Fortunately it sets in the early morning hours, giving a dark window of two to three hours before dawn. On the morning of October 21 the moon sets about an hour earlier than on the 22nd, so that morning offers the longest dark window; on October 23 it sets about an hour later.
| City | Moonset | Dawn begins | Sunrise |
|---|---|---|---|
| London | 2:49 a.m. | 5:44 a.m. | 7:36 a.m. |
| Edinburgh | 2:54 a.m. | 5:53 a.m. | 7:58 a.m. |
| New York | 3:12 a.m. | 5:43 a.m. | 7:15 a.m. |
| Chicago | 3:08 a.m. | 5:37 a.m. | 7:11 a.m. |
| Los Angeles | 3:22 a.m. | 5:40 a.m. | 7:04 a.m. |
Morning of Thursday, October 22, 2026, local time. Dawn is the start of astronomical twilight (sun 18 degrees below the horizon). Calculated with the astronomy-engine library.
So in London, the darkest sky is from about 3 a.m. to 5:45 a.m., and in New York from about 3:15 a.m. to 5:45 a.m. Note that the UK clocks go back on October 25, after the peak; see when the clocks change in 2026.
Sky forecast: will it be clear?
Updated October 17. Here is the chance of a clear or mostly clear sky in the dark hours before dawn, from about 3 to 6 a.m. local time, on the mornings around the peak, based on the ECMWF ensemble:
| City | Wed Oct 21 | Thu Oct 22 | Fri Oct 23 |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York | 90% | 53% | 47% |
| Chicago | 59% | 75% | 49% |
| Denver | 84% | 24% | 8% |
| Los Angeles | 73% | 27% | 59% |
| Phoenix | 12% | 20% | 61% |
| Seattle | 8% | 10% | 12% |
| London | 6% | 47% | 10% |
| Edinburgh | 4% | 35% | 2% |
Chance that average cloud cover in those hours is 30% or less, in the 51 runs of the ECMWF ensemble (via Open-Meteo).
So far the odds look best in New York on the morning of October 21 (90%), in Chicago on October 22 (75%), and in Denver and Los Angeles on October 21. In London and Edinburgh, October 22 looks like the only real chance, and Seattle looks cloudy all three mornings. Cloud forecasts change quickly, so check again the evening before. We will update this table in the days before the peak.
Will the sky be clear?
No clear sky, no meteors. To see how often the sky is clear before dawn at this time of year, we looked at cloud cover at 5 a.m. on October 15-31 over the past 20 years.
| City | Clear or mostly clear | Overcast |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix | 76% | 10% |
| Denver | 53% | 27% |
| Los Angeles | 46% | 23% |
| New York | 41% | 41% |
| Chicago | 34% | 43% |
| London | 18% | 58% |
| Edinburgh | 15% | 59% |
| Seattle | 13% | 60% |
Share of mornings at 5 a.m. local time, October 15-31, 2006-2025. Clear or mostly clear: cloud cover of 25% or less; overcast: 85% or more. Source: ERA5 reanalysis via Open-Meteo; model values, not observations. Shallow coastal fog and low cloud, as along the California coast, can be underestimated.
The Southwest has the best odds: in Phoenix the sky is clear or mostly clear on about 3 in 4 mornings, and in Denver on about half. New York and Chicago are in between. In London, Edinburgh and Seattle, clear mornings are the exception: the sky is overcast on about 6 in 10 mornings. That is typical of late autumn in northwestern Europe and the Pacific Northwest, when one Atlantic or Pacific weather system follows another.
So keep an eye on the forecast and pick the morning with the best chance of clear skies. The clearest air often comes behind a cold front, after a band of rain has passed through. Check the 14-day forecast for your area, and look at the hourly cloud cover on the day itself.
Where and how to watch
Get as far away from city lights as you safely can, with a wide view of the sky. In the UK, dark sky places such as Galloway Forest Park, Exmoor and Northumberland are among the best spots; in the US, many national and state parks have very dark skies. You do not need a telescope or binoculars, which show too little of the sky. Lie back on a reclining chair or mat, so you can take in as much sky as possible, and look a little away from Orion rather than straight at it: meteors further from the radiant have longer trails. Give your eyes 20 minutes to adjust to the dark, and avoid looking at your phone. Dress warmly, as it can be cold before dawn in late October: see when the first frost arrives in London.
Halley's Comet, twice a year
Halley's Comet itself was last seen from Earth in 1986 and will not return until 2061. But its dust stays in its orbit, and Earth crosses that dust trail twice a year: in October, giving the Orionids, and in early May, giving the Eta Aquariids. Every Orionid you see is a tiny piece of one of the most famous comets in history. Want to see another sky show? Read our guide to seeing the northern lights and the Kp index.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see the Orionids in 2026?
In the hours before dawn on October 21, 22 and 23, 2026, after the moon has set. In London and New York the darkest window is from about 3 a.m. to 5:45 a.m. local time.
How many Orionid meteors can you see per hour?
About 10 to 20 per hour under a dark, clear sky with no moonlight. From a town or city, and while the moon is up, you will see fewer.
Where should I look for the Orionids?
Anywhere in the sky, but they seem to come from the constellation Orion, high in the southern sky before dawn. Look a little away from Orion to see longer trails.
Where do the Orionids come from?
They are tiny bits of dust from Halley's Comet that burn up in Earth's atmosphere at about 41 miles (66 km) per second.
Check the weather in London or search another place on the locations page.