Twice a year our planet encounters a meteor shower coming from Halley's Comet. The first time is in May, when the eta-Aquaríd swarm is active. The second time will be in the next few days, when the maximum of the Orionids occurs.
The swarm is active from October 2 to November 22, 2005, and we expect the maximum on October 21 in the morning hours. The fibrous structure of the swarm means that the maximum is not very sharp, or we can talk about several maximums that last for several days. The ZHR is estimated to be 20-25. The radiant of the swarm is located in the northeastern part of the constellation Orion, 5 degrees west of the second-magnitude star called Alhena (or Gamma Geminorum).
The Orionids are the second fastest swarm after the Leonids, entering the atmosphere at a speed of 66 km/s. There are quite a few small particles in the swarm. Like other fast meteors, they leave trails visible in the sky for seconds to minutes. Looking towards the radiant, the observer sees short meteors, while if he focuses his gaze a quarter of the sky from this point, he registers long and very fast meteors.
The most suitable connection times for these directions are: SW - NE 00 - 02 UT, E - W 02 - 06 UT, SE - NW 06 -08 UT.