WATCH Tonight ORIONIDS Meteor Shower Spectacular Display - October 21 Clear Skies

We expect to see about 25 meteors per hour when the shower peaks on Tuesday morning, Oct 21st

Be prepared for speed,  ”Meteoroids from Halley’s Comet strike Earth’s atmosphere traveling 148,000 mph.  Only the November Leonids are faster.http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2014/17oct_orionids/

Speed is important because fast meteors have a tendency to explode.  Occasionally, Orionid fireballs will leave incandescent streams of debris in their wake that linger for minutes. Such filaments of “meteor smoke” twisted by upper atmospheric winds into convoluted shapes can be even prettier than the meteors themselves.

Waking up before sunrise is a good way to get a head start on the day. On Oct. 21st, waking up before sunrise could stop you in your tracks.
Blame Halley’s Comet.  Every year in mid-to-late October, Earth passes through a stream of dusty debris from Comet Halley, and the pre-dawn sky can light up with a pretty display of shooting stars.

Because these meteors streak out of the constellation Orion, astronomers call them “Orionids.”
The Orionid meteor shower is not the strongest, but it is one of the most beautiful showers of the year

Image credit: NASA