Orionid meteor shower 2027
The Orionids peak on Thursday, October 21, 2027, with up to 20 meteors an hour under a dark sky. On the peak night the Moon is 56% lit, and the meteors seem to come from Orion.
At a glance
- Next peak
- Thursday, October 21, 2027
- Meteors an hour
- Up to 20
- Radiant
- Orion
- Parent
- comet 1P/Halley
- Moon on the peak night
- 56% lit, last quarter Moon
Where to look
The Orionids seem to come from a point in Orion, called the radiant. You don't need to look straight at it: meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, and the higher the radiant, the more you see. Times are local solar time on the peak night. Your clock can differ by an hour or more, for example during daylight saving time.
| From | Radiant rises | Highest | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| 40° north | 9:20 p.m. | 4:20 a.m. | 66° |
| 35° south | 11:00 p.m. | 4:20 a.m. | 39° |
The Orionids in the next years
The peak day can shift by about a day from year to year. The Moon figures are for midnight in Toronto on the peak night.
| Peak | Moon | Moon lit |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday, October 21, 2027 | last quarter Moon | 56% |
| Saturday, October 21, 2028 | waxing crescent Moon | 13% |
| Sunday, October 21, 2029 | waxing gibbous Moon | 98% |
| Monday, October 21, 2030 | waning crescent Moon | 26% |
| Tuesday, October 21, 2031 | waxing crescent Moon | 37% |
Where the Orionids come from
The Orionids are dust from comet 1P/Halley. Every year Earth passes through its trail, and the grains burn up high in the atmosphere as meteors.
Keep the night of the Orionids
Put the sky above Toronto on the night of the October 21, 2027 peak on a star map. You can change the place, the date and the words in the editor.
Questions about the Orionids
The Orionids peak on Thursday, October 21, 2027. The peak day can shift by about a day from year to year, so the nights just before and after are worth a look too.
Up to about 20 at the peak, under a perfectly dark sky with the radiant overhead. From most places you see fewer, especially with the Moon up.
Anywhere in the sky. The meteors seem to come from Orion, but they cross the whole sky, so look at a wide dark patch away from the Moon.
Yes, but fewer. From 35° south the radiant climbs only to 39°, against 66° from 40° north, so you see fewer meteors.
On the 2027 peak night the Moon is 56% lit. Its light hides some of the fainter meteors, so watch while it is low or down.
The Orionids are dust from comet 1P/Halley. Every year Earth passes through its trail, and the grains burn up high in the atmosphere.
Other meteor showers
More of the night sky
- Upcoming eclipsesEvery lunar and solar eclipse of the next 10 years.
- Night sky tonightThe Moon, the planets you can see and the time it gets dark in your city.
- Night sky on any dateThe Moon, the planets and the stars above any place, from 1900 to 2100.
- Moon phase on your birthdayThe phase and the shape of the Moon on the day you were born.