Peak of the Orionid Meteor Shower: When Ukrainians Will Be Able to See the Meteor Shower in October

On the night of October 22, 2026, Ukrainians will be able to observe the peak of the Orionid meteor shower. Under favorable weather conditions and with ideal visibility, it will be possible to see between 10 and 20 meteors per hour in the sky. 

Every year, the Orionid meteor shower is active from October 2 to November 7, with the highest number of meteors expected on the night of October 22.

The Orionids occur when Earth passes through a cloud of ice and dust debris left behind by Comet 1P/Halley, also known as Halley’s Comet. The particles enter Earth’s atmosphere and burn up, creating bright streaks of light in the night sky.

The Orionid meteors are among the fastest of all meteor showers. This is because Earth crosses the stream of particles from Halley’s Comet almost “head-on.”

According to NASA, the Orionids travel across the sky at a speed of 66 kilometers per second. This is only 5 km/s slower than the meteors of the Leonid meteor shower, which are among the fastest.

Residents of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres can observe the Orionids, provided weather conditions allow for visibility.

Meteor showers are usually named after the constellations from which the meteors appear to originate. This region of the sky is called the radiant. The radiant of the Orionids is located roughly in the direction of the constellation Orion, which is why the shower got its name.

Orion lies on the celestial equator and is visible worldwide, making it possible to observe the meteor shower from various regions of the planet.

This is reported by Space.com.

October will treat astronomy enthusiasts to several interesting events. Among this month’s main events are Saturn’s opposition to the Sun, the peak of the Orionid meteor shower, and the Moon’s approach to the Pleiades star cluster, known as the “Seven Sisters.”

While September called for organization and adaptation to the rhythm of fall, October 2026 will be a month of profound internal transformations, a reassessment of values, and a realignment of long-term goals. Cosmic energies will prompt a slowdown in outward expansion in order to thoroughly test the reliability of internal foundations, financial strategies, and personal agreements.