WASHINGTON — The Orionid meteor shower will put on a cosmic show in the night sky this week, giving stargazers a chance to see up to 20 meteors per hour.

The Orionids will peak on Tuesday, Oct. 21, and will align with October's new moon. The new moon provides the ideal canvas for the meteor shower, if weather conditions also cooperate.

Stargazers and meteor watchers may spot up to 10-20 fireballs an hour, according to the American Meteor Society .

What are the Orionids?

The Orionid meteor shower typically peaks in mid-to-late October when Earth passes through the debris left by Halley's Comet.

NASA says the Earth passes through the comet's debris trail twice each year, leading to two different yearly meteor showers. The showers happen in May, the Eta Aquarids, and again in October,

See Full Page