The Orionid meteor shower peaks this weekend. Enhance your view with these tips

In the night sky of northern Lebanon, two meteors of the annual Orionid meteor shower streak as they cross through the Milky Way. IBRAHIM CHALHOUB/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption IBRAHIM CHALHOUB/AFP via Getty Images

In the night sky of northern Lebanon, two meteors of the annual Orionid meteor shower streak as they cross through the Milky Way.

IBRAHIM CHALHOUB/AFP via Getty Images

The Orionid meteor shower is upon us!

The event is known for the brightness and speed of its meteors. According to NASA, it's one of the most beautiful meteor showers of the year. At its peak and under ideal conditions, the shower is expected to produce .

Where do the Orionid meteors come from?

The shower is named after the Orion constellation because the meteors appear to radiate from that point in the sky. In fact, its meteors are visible across the night sky.

The real source of the meteors is comet 1P/Halley, aka Halley's Comet. When Earth's atmosphere passes through Halley's dust trail, the dust disintegrates and voila! A meteor appears.

Each October, Halley's comet and Earth go through this same song and dance to create the Orionids. In that way, the Orionid meteor shower is a kind of like a treat to tide over Earthlings between full viewings of Halley's comet, which only happens roughly every 76 years. (Fun fact: When this same sequence of events happens in May, the shower is called the )

The Orionids are known to streak through the sky pretty quickly — about 66 kilometers, or 41 miles, per second! So they can leave glowing trains that can last anywhere from several seconds to minutes.

When — and how — to view the Orionids

The Orionids will peak this weekend in the wee hours . So you can either stay up late Friday or wake up before dawn on Saturday to optimize the view.

Speaking of optimizing, NASA says that you can boost your chances of having a nice view by finding an observation spot away from city or street lights, if possible, and letting your eyes adjust to the darkness for about 30 minutes. Then, they recommend sitting or laying down with your feet facing southeast if you are in the Northern Hemisphere, or northeast if you are in the Southern Hemisphere. Lastly, NASA says to look from the Orion constellation by 45 to 90 degrees. Looking directly at them as they appear to emerge from Orion will make the meteors look shorter and less spectacular.

(If you're photographically inclined, for maximizing your meteor shower photo shoot.)

But, if you'd rather preserve your sleep, don't worry: The shower will still be visible several days after the peak.

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