Something worth staying up for? Orionoids Meteor shower Oct. 21-22

Late-October events to watch for in the skies:

Oct. 21-22 
Orionids Meteor Shower

Every fall, Earth passes through a stream of debris left behind by Halley’s Comet, producing the Orionids.

The shower runs Oct. 2-Nov. 7 and is capable of up to 20 meteors an hour under dark, moonless skies. This year, however, an 82%-bright Moon will wash out the early hours of the peak, which falls on the night of Oct. 21 into the morning of Oct. 22. Prime viewing comes after the Moon sets around 3:30 a.m., leaving observers willing to set an alarm a crisp, dark window with 10 to 14 meteors an hour before dawn breaks around 7 a.m.

Oct. 26 
Full Hunter’s Moon

The Moon reaches full phase at 12:13 a.m. EDT. October’s full moon is traditionally known as the Hunter’s Moon — a name with roots in Native American tradition, later popularized by The Old Farmer’s Almanac when it published the now-familiar 12-name list for the first time in 1964 — marking the seasonal shift from gathering crops to hunting and preserving meat for winter. 

With the Harvest Moon behind them and fields cleared and leaves fallen, hunters found game like deer easier to spot in the open landscape. The Moon’s early, bright rise soon after sunset gave them extra hours to track game into the night, making this the traditional season to hunt, preserve meat, and stock provisions for the winter ahead.