Orionid meteor shower begins Friday, peaking later in October

The Orionid meteor shower begins on Friday, as Earth passes through a trail of debris left behind by Halley's Comet. The shower is expected to reach its peak later in October.

The Orionids are an annual event, occurring each year as Earth's orbit carries it through the stream of particles shed by the comet on its own path around the Sun. The meteors appear to radiate from the direction of the constellation Orion, which gives the shower its name.

Visibility typically improves away from bright city lights, with meteors becoming more frequent and easier to spot as the shower approaches its peak later in the month. Exact viewing conditions can vary depending on weather and moonlight.

Halley's Comet itself is not visible during the shower; it is the trail of dust and debris it leaves behind, now scattered along Earth's orbital path, that produces the display.