Orionid Meteor Shower: When, where and how to watch it from India; tips for the best views and more

The Orionid meteor shower will peak around October 21-22. Sky watchers in India should plan a morning trip for the best views. A dark environment and patience will help, as these meteors are often weak.

The best viewing period comes after moonset and before dawn. In Mumbai, this window is roughly from 3:30 AM to 5:15 AM (India time), according to Stargazing Mumbai.

Times vary slightly between cities, so viewers elsewhere should allow for local differences. But roughly, the Orionid meteor shower will be visible from anywhere in India during the pre-dawn hours of October 22.

The sky begins to brighten with dawn, making it less likely that we will see faint meteors. Moonlight makes the hours before moonset less favorable.

The Orionids are mostly late night showers, with fewer meteors visible in the evening. From India, their apparent starting point rises above the horizon around 22-23 hours.

It rises higher overnight and improves viewing conditions after midnight. It passes almost overhead before dawn at latitudes similar to Mumbai.

Orionid Meteor Shower: Tips for Watching

Choose a safe, dark country location, away from bright city lights. If you live in the city, you can also choose the terrace of a high-rise building.

Artificial lighting can hide the weaker streaks of the shower. Settle into a reclining chair or sleeping bag and let your eyes adjust. Then watch a wide swath of the sky instead of one small spot.

Before the moon sets, turn to the east or northeast with the moon behind you. Once the moon has set, lie down and look overhead and to the east. Capture as much of the open sky as possible. Meteors can appear anywhere, so avoid staring only at their apparent starting point.

This point, called the radiant, lies in the upper region of Orion near reddish Betelgeuse. It is also close to the boundary between Orion and Gemini. To find Orion, first find its three bright belt stars. Then look up at Betelgeuse, which marks the hunter’s shoulder.

Under dark, moonless conditions, the peak can produce around 10-20 meteors per hour. In the presence of moonlight, viewers can only see a handful under the typical country sky. These numbers are averages and observations may come in batches. Quiet periods between meteors are normal, so be patient.

What are the Orionids?

The Orionids come from the dust and debris left behind by Halley’s Comet. Earth passes close to the comet’s path every October and May. Some particles enter our atmosphere at about 66 km/s. They shine like streaks commonly called shooting stars.

About half of the Orionid meteors leave glowing trails in the sky. Meteors appearing further away from the radiant can produce longer and more prominent trails.

Halley’s Comet last visited the inner Solar System in 1986. Its next return is expected in 2061. Until then, the Orionids offer an annual chance to observe its scattered remnants.