The Orionids meteor shower, one of the best meteor showers of the year, is expected to peak tonight between October 20 and the early hours of October 21, 2024.

The shower, caused by debris from Halley's Comet, is known for its bright, fast meteors and is a favourite among skywatchers.

According to NASA, the Orionids, which peak during mid-October each year, are considered to be one of the most beautiful showers of the year. Orionid meteors are known for their brightness and for their speed.

These meteors are fast – they travel at about 148,000 mph (66 km/s) into Earth's atmosphere. Fast meteors can leave glowing "trains" (incandescent bits of debris in the wake of the meteor), which last for several seconds to minutes. Fast meteors can also sometimes become fireballs: Look for prolonged explosions of light when viewing the Orionid meteor shower.

The Orionids are named after the constellation Orion, as the meteors appear to radiate from that area of the sky.

The best way to watch the meteor shower is to find a dark location, away from city lights, and lie down on the ground facing northeast in the Southern Hemisphere.

While the shower peaks on October 20-21, it can be visible for a few weeks before and after the peak. The Orionids are one of two meteor showers created by Halley's Comet, the other being the Eta Aquarids in May.

Halley's Comet, known for its 76-year orbit around the Sun, will next be visible from Earth in 2061.

You don't need any special equipment to view the meteor shower but you do need a clear sky. The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast the possible showers will clear later this afternoon leaving mostly sunny skies, so there is a good chance of getting part of the equation right.

The best viewing time for the Orionids meteor shower is between midnight and pre-dawn hours.

What is a meteor shower?

Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through debris shed by a comet or asteroid. They reoccur at about the same time every year when Earth comes around in its orbit and passes through the debris again.

Meteor showers are named after the constellation that contains the radiant of the shower. The radiant is where the meteors appear to emanate from — if you draw a line back along the meteors, all of the lines will meet at the same point. This is an effect of the Earth speeding through the comet debris, meaning when you watch a meteor shower, you're seeing direct evidence of our planet orbiting the Sun.