2026 Orionids: Past Peak, Activity Dates and Viewing

2026 quick facts

Status

October 21–22 peak passed; published activity ends November 7, 2026

Activity

October 2–November 7, 2026 (AMS)

Past peak night

October 21–22 (AMS / NASA); no precise hour asserted

Moonlight at the past peak

Waxing gibbous Moon; not tonight’s lunar conditions

Radiant direction

Orion; look away from the radiant for longer trails

Rates

Medium-strength shower; not a guaranteed personal count

Visibility

Both hemispheres; radiant timing and height differ

The peak has passed, but the activity range is longer

AMS and NASA label October 21–22 as the past peak night; Greenwich lists October 21 as the maximum date. Those listings give dates, not a precise global peak hour. AMS separately lists activity through November 7; a passed peak is not the same as the end of activity.

The waxing gibbous Moon was a constraint at the October peak. Do not reuse that phase or a peak-night moonset for a later date. Compare current local moonrise and moonset with astronomical darkness and the pre-dawn radiant altitude; activity outside the peak does not guarantee a useful meteor count.

Moon conditions, radiant and hemispheres

Moonlight can wash out fainter Orionids before the Moon sets. Moonset varies by location, so a time copied from another city is not reliable. Cloud, haze and city light still matter after the Moon is below the horizon.

The radiant is in Orion, but meteors can cross any part of the sky. Both hemispheres can observe the shower, with different radiant paths and available dark hours; look well away from Orion for longer apparent trails.

What makes Orionids distinctive

Orionid meteors meet Earth at high relative speed and can leave swift streaks. The stream is associated with debris from comet 1P/Halley, although individual meteors may appear far from Orion.

Past returns vary, and the published reference rate is not a personal guarantee. Dark adaptation, unobstructed sky and accurate clear-time measurement matter when comparing nights.

Planning a later observing session

Choose a safe open location, use the unaided eye and look well away from the radiant so trails appear longer. Give your eyes at least 20 minutes without bright light.

For a date inside the published activity range, use that night’s local Moon and weather data, not the passed October 21–22 plan. After November 7, treat this page as a historical reference and use the calendar for the next reviewed window. The general sky score is not a meteor-count forecast.

Frequently asked questions

Has the 2026 Orionid peak passed?

Yes. The October 21–22 peak has passed. AMS lists the broader activity range through November 7; that is not a second peak or a promise of tonight’s meteor count.

Can both hemispheres see them?

Yes, with differences in radiant height and timing.

Are Orionids from Halley’s Comet?

The meteor stream is associated with debris from comet 1P/Halley.