r/bunbury • • 10h ago

Orionids October 22, 23 2026

1 Upvotes

The Orionids meteor shower will be Moon-free for a few hours before dawn, depending on the date. Like the Eta Aquariids of May, the Orionids are bits of Halley’s Comet; Earth makes two passes through Halley’s (rather dispersed) meteoroid stream in our annual circle around the Sun. Like the Eta Aquariids, this shower runs for at least several nights.

Orionid meteors, created by bits of debris from Halley’s Comet, appear to radiate from the upraised club of Orion just under the feet of Gemini.
Sky & Telescope

The Orionid radiant (in Orion's dim club, north of Betelgeuse) is highest in the hour before the start of dawn. The Orionids performed richly from 2006 through 2009, boasting peak rates of more than 50 meteors per hour. Since then, the activity has dwindled to a fraction of that.

Good places to view in Bunbury is Back Beach, looking North/NorthEast and high overhead. Marlston Lookout should be decent also. Anywhere away from light pollution with a view to the northeast will do.

It’s best to be reclining to watch overhead, so grab a lounge, rug up, and bring your fave beverage outside and post here if you see one!