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The Orionids typically give off about 20 to 25 meteors per hour during their peak and are known to be particularly bright – many of the Orionids are fireball meteors. Like the Eta Aquariids, the Orionids are also debris left behind by Halley’s Comet.
The Orionids appear to radiate from the constellation of Orion, which rises around 11 pm local time and is highest in the sky shortly before dawn.
The new moon falls on the night of October 21-22, and in the surrounding week, the moon will set well before midnight, so you will have perfect conditions to see this meteor shower.
The Leonids (November-December)
The Leonids are active from about November 3rd to December 2nd. They have a strong peak, producing most of the nighttime meteors from Nov. 16 to Nov. 17, according to the American Meteor Society. Other organizations, however, predict that this shower will peak from From November 17th to November 18th. During the peak of the Leonids, you can expect to see about 15 meteors per hour under dark skies.
Although the Leonids produce fewer meteors than many of the other large meteors, they are known for producing bright, fast fireball meteors.
The peak of the Leonids is just before the new moon – on the morning of November 18, the moon will be right. 6 percent lit and in the eastern United States it will not rise until approx 5 o’clock in the morning on November 17, so you’ll have plenty of time to see this meteor shower in perfect viewing conditions.
The radiant of the Leonids is the constellation Leo, which rises around midnight local time and is highest in the sky around dawn.
The Geminids (December)
The Geminids are active from about December 4th to December 17th, peaking at night from December 13th to December 14th. They have a strong peak, so the night of the 13th is the best time for skywatching.
The Geminids are the most spectacular meteor shower of the year: In addition to boasting up to 120 or even 150 meteors per hour during its peak, this meteor shower is also the brightest and most colorful of the year.
The Geminids are bright, slow meteors that often have yellow tones, but can be a variety of other colors, including green, blue, white, red, or orange. And unlike most meteors, which are caused by comet debris, the Geminids are the remains of an asteroid.
On the night that the peak of the Geminids, its radiant, the constellation Gemini, will be above the horizon all night and will reach its highest point around 2 a.m. local time, so the meteors will be visible almost all night.
That same night, the moon will be approx 32 percent lit and it will rise around 1:30 am in the eastern United States, so if you watch this shower shortly after midnight, the moonlight won’t interfere with your viewing experience.
Ursidi (December)
Ursids are active around December 17th to December 26th, peaking in the morning hours of December 22nd. This meteor shower is less active than others, typically yielding about 10 meteors per hour; however, the viewing conditions will be perfect for skywatching. The moon will set at about 6pm in the eastern US on the 21st, so no moonlight will interfere with this meteor shower.
Although the Ursii typically produces the most meteors just before dawn, when its radiant, the Little Dipper (or Ursa Minor), is higher in the sky, you will be able to see meteors throughout at night during the peak of this rain. In northern latitudes, the Aurora Borealis is above the horizon all night.
