The Orionids typically produce between 20 and 25 meteors per hour during their peak and are known to be particularly bright; many of the Orionids are fireball meteors. Like the Eta Aquarids, the Orionids are also remnants left by Halley’s Comet.
The Orionids appear to radiate from the constellation Orion, which rises around 11:00 p.m. local time and reaches its highest point in the sky just before dawn.
The new moon falls on the night of October 21-22, and during the surrounding week the moon will set well before midnight, so you’ll have perfect viewing conditions to see this meteor shower.
The Leonids (November-December)
The Leonids are active from approximately November 3 to December 2. They have a pronounced peak and produce the most meteors during the night of November 16-17, according to the American Meteor Society. Other organizations, however, predict that this rain will peak from November 17 to November 18. During the peak of the Leonids, you can expect to see about 15 meteors per hour under a dark sky.
Although the Leonids produce fewer meteors than many other major meteor showers, they are known for producing bright, fast-moving fireball meteors.
The Leonids peak just before the new moon; On the morning of November 18, the moon will be just 6 percent illuminated and in the eastern US it will not increase until approximately 5am on November 17, so you will have enough time to see this meteor shower in perfect viewing conditions.
The Leonid radiant is the constellation Leo, which rises around midnight local time and reaches its highest point in the sky around dawn.
The Geminids (December)
The Geminids are active from approximately December 4 to 17, and peak during the night of December 13 to 14. They have a pronounced peak, so the night of the 13th is the best time to observe the sky.
The Geminids are the most spectacular meteor shower of the year: in addition to reaching up to 120 or even 150 meteors per hour during their peak, this meteor shower is also the brightest and most colorful of the year.
The Geminids are bright, slow-moving meteors that often have yellow hues, 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 remnant of an asteroid.
The night 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 meteors will be visible almost all night .
That same night, the moon will be ready 32 percent illuminated and will rise around 1:30 a.m. in the eastern US, so if you observe this shower shortly after midnight, the moonlight will not interfere with your viewing experience.
The Ursids (December)
The Ursids are active between December 17 and 26, reaching their peak in the early morning hours of December 22. This meteor shower is less active than others and typically produces around 10 meteors per hour; however, viewing conditions will be perfect for observing the sky. The moon will set at approximately 6 pm in the eastern US on the 21st, so no moonlight will interfere with this meteor shower.
Although the Ursids typically produce the most meteors just before dawn, when its radiant, Ursa Minor (or Little Dipper), is highest in the sky, you will be able to see meteors all night during the peak of this shower. In northern latitudes the Ursid radiant remains above the horizon all night.