Orionids 2016: A Poor Year for a Good Meteor Shower

Along with the Geminids in December and the Perseids in August, the most reliable annual display of "shooting stars" is the Orionid meteor shower in October. When the Orionid meteor shower reaches its peak Friday morning (Oct. 21), the waning gibbous moon (more than half of its surface illuminated) will be in the sky almost all night long. The annual Orionid meteor shower usually lasts from about Oct. 16 to Oct. 26.