The Orionid meteor shower is this weekend: Here’s how to watch

The spectacular fall tradition is back
Dozens of meteors are expected to be visible per hour
Residents of major cities will have a tougher time getting the full effect

Updated: Oct 21, 2023 / 02:11 PM CDT

Meteors of the Orionid meteor shower streak as they cross through the milkyway in the mountainous area of Tannourine in northern Lebanon, on October 3, 2021. (Photo by IBRAHIM CHALHOUB/AFP via Getty Images)

(NewsNation) — The Orionid meteor shower will reach its peak intensity on Saturday, with as many as 80 meteors an hour expected to streak through the night sky.

According to the American Meteor Society (AMS), the best time to see the meteors fly is between 1 a.m. CDT and dawn when the Orionid radiant is more than 30 degrees above the horizon. NASA recommends viewers face southeast toward the constellation Orion.

“The best way to see these meteors is to lie in a comfortable lounge chair with the back angled so that you are looking about half-way up in the sky,” the AMS said. “You can look straight up if your sky near the horizon is brightly lit, but more meteors are seen in the lower half of the sky than straight up as you are looking through a much thicker column of the atmosphere.”

First step? Find yourself a dark place.

If you live in a major city this one is going to be tough. You can work with light pollution in general if it is not too extensive. But the darker the sky is, the better your chances of seeing meteors.

Let your eyes adjust.

To fully appreciate the darkness of the sky and spot even the fainter meteors, you have to ensure your eyes are adjusted to dark conditions. This takes 20 to 30 minutes.

NewsNation affiliate KARK and Reuters contributed to this report.