Is there a meteor shower tonight?
Yes. The Orionid meteor shower is active tonight, peaking on the night of 20–21 October.
Up to 20 meteors an hour at the peak under a perfectly dark sky; expect fewer in practice. Best after midnight, once Orion is up in the south-east.
- Peak (UK time)Night of 20–21 October
- Peak rate (ZHR)20 an hour
- Moon tonightFirst Quarter, 54%
- Fully dark from20:04
Times are UK time (BST) for central Britain. A 54% lit Moon sets at about 23:09, so the darkest skies come after that.
Meteor shower tonight: when and where to look
The sun sets at about 18:06 tonight in central Britain, and the sky is fully dark from about 20:04. Meteor rates usually climb after midnight, as your side of the Earth turns to face into the stream of dust, and peak in the hours before dawn.
Get away from street lights. A dark hillside, a beach or one of the Dark Sky Parks and Reserves at Galloway Forest, Northumberland, Eryri or Bannau Brycheiniog gives you far more meteors than a town garden. Lie back on a mat, look about halfway up the sky in any direction, and give your eyes 20 minutes to adjust. Every glance at a phone screen resets that, so turn it off or use a red light.
The ZHR, or zenithal hourly rate, is how many meteors one observer would see in an hour with the radiant overhead under a perfectly dark sky. Real counts are lower, often well under half the ZHR, and lower still with moonlight, haze or a radiant low in the sky.
Next meteor showers over the UK
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Northern Taurid meteor shower
Peaks on the night of 11–12 November. Up to 5 an hour. Active 20 Oct to 10 Dec.
The northern branch of the Taurids, peaking a month after its southern twin; again a low rate but a good chance of slow, bright fireballs.
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Leonid meteor shower
Peaks on the night of 17–18 November. Up to 15 an hour. Active 6 Nov to 30 Nov.
About 15 very fast meteors an hour; radiant in Leo; best after midnight. The Leonids produce a storm roughly every 33 years — this is not one of those years, but they are worth a look.
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Geminid meteor shower
Peaks on the night of 13–14 December. Up to 150 an hour. Active 4 Dec to 20 Dec.
The most reliable shower of the year: up to 150 colourful meteors an hour, radiant near Castor in Gemini, and good from about 22:00 onwards. A waxing crescent Moon sets early, leaving properly dark skies.
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Ursid meteor shower
Peaks on the night of 21–22 December. Up to 10 an hour. Active 17 Dec to 26 Dec.
A modest shower of about 10 meteors an hour from a radiant near the Little Dipper in Ursa Minor; best in the hours before dawn.
Meteor shower questions
Is there a meteor shower tonight?
Yes. The Orionid meteor shower is active tonight, peaking on the night of 20–21 October. It gives up to 20 meteors an hour at the peak under a perfectly dark sky. Look after midnight, once Orion is up in the south-east.
What time is best to watch a meteor shower tonight?
Usually after midnight and before dawn, when the radiant is high and your side of the Earth faces into the stream of dust. Wait until the sky is fully dark, after about 20:04 tonight across central Britain, give your eyes 20 minutes to adjust and keep your phone screen off.
Do I need a telescope to see a meteor shower?
No. Meteors flash across wide areas of the sky, so your eyes are best. Lie back, look about halfway up the sky, and don't stare straight at the radiant: meteors seen away from it have longer trails.
Will the Moon spoil the meteor shower tonight?
A 54% lit Moon sets at about 23:09, so the darkest skies come after that. A bright Moon hides the fainter meteors, so the best nights are when it is new, a thin crescent, or below the horizon.
More night sky
See every shower, eclipse and supermoon this year in the UK meteor shower and sky calendar, check the aurora forecast for the northern lights, or pick a dark summit from the UK mountains, each with a stargazing score for tonight.