Meteor shower peaks later this month – but you might want to go ‘star-spotting’ now

In case you haven’t heard, the Orionids meteor shower is underway, which typically produces about 10 to 20 meteors an hour, though can hit about 50 to 75 meteors per hour during more active years.

The meteor shower is set to last from September 26 to November 22, peaking on the night of October 20. That said, during this peak night, the moon will be 83 percent full, thus, light pollution will make ‘shooting stars’ more difficult to see.

Given that the moon will be a bright waning gibbous during the peak, weeks around the peak may offer a better viewing opportunity, particularly for those in remote parts of Colorado away from city lights. Keep in mind that on the night of October 8, the moon is only about 26 percent illuminated.

Keep in the mind that this meteor shower won’t be anything like the summer Perseids, which tends to send many more meteors streaking across the night sky. Even still, you’ll have a good chance of spotting a meteor over upcoming days if you’re looking for a long enough time from a dark spot under a sky that’s free of cloud cover.

Find more information about the Orionids and other upcoming meteor showers on the American Meteor Society website here.