1 of the Year’s Best Meteor Displays Over Missouri Peaks Tonight

If you consider yourself an avid skywatcher and you live in Missouri, tonight might be the best evening of the year to see meteors as a major shower is expected to be peaking and weather should be ideal.

I was made aware of this meteor shower from an unexpected source - the National Weather Service in St. Louis, Missouri

Infographic, National Weather Service St. Louis

What is the Orionid Meteor Shower?

• Parent Comet: Halley's Comet (1P/Halley), which visits the inner solar system every 76 years.
• Active Period: Late September to late November (typically October 2 to November 7).
• Peak Dates: Mid-October (usually around October 21–22).
• Speed: Very fast, traveling at about 41 miles (66 kilometers) per second.
• Radiant Point: Appears to radiate from the constellation Orion, near the bright red star Betelgeuse

This meteor shower is the result of Halley's Comet, one of the most famous celestial objects of all time. I need to be specific since it's possible you're seeing this later than the day I'm writing it so it's the night of Wednesday, October 21, 2026 that we're talking about being the prime viewing time for this meteor shower. The darker the sky where you are, the better chance you'll have to see bright meteors flash across the sky.

My understanding is that your best chance to see the Orionid Meteor Shower is late Wednesday night as close to midnight as you can stand. The fact that nearly all of Missouri is expecting clear skies tonight could make for some of the year's best skywatching.