Halley's Comet Debris: Peak 2016 Orionids Meteor Shower Visible Across LA Tonight

LOS ANGELES, CA -- Tonight’s dazzling Orionids meteor shower won’t be obscured by cloud cover over Los Angeles.

The Orionids meteor shower, the result of earth passing through the debris field of Halley’s Comet, will peak tonight, and Los Angeles is forecast to enjoy clear skies, according to the National Weather service. Frequently blocked by the marine layer during meteor showers, Los Angeles’ coastline will finally be a good place to watch the ‘falling stars.’

The Orionids meteor shower is expected to offer up to 20 "shooting stars" streaking across the skies Oct, 20 - 21. The hours between midnight and predawn are the best time to catch the meteor shower, but the bright waning gibbous moon, might make it harder to see shower.

The Orionids stem from debris from Halley's Comet, which last passed by Earth in 1986 and will return in 2061. As Comet Halley moves through space, it leaves debris in its wake that strikes Earth’s atmosphere most fully around Oct. 20-22 every year as we pass through the comet's orbit.

Stargazers should find a dark area wait for the display. It typically takes roughly 20-30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the darkness, so be patient, said NASA’s Bill Cooke.

Peak dates for other upcoming meteor showers in 2016:

Nov. 4-5, South Taurids

Though the best viewing conditions are likely to be after midnight on Nov. 5, the Taurids are very long-lasting, from Sept. 25-Nov. 25. They only offer about seven meteors an hour, but the Taurids are known for having a high percentage of fireballs. This is the first of two Taurid meteor showers, and it always adds a few more meteors to the South Taurids’ peak night.

Nov. 11-12, North Taurids

This shower is long-lasting, too, from Oct. 12-Dec. 2, but modest as well with only about seven meteors an hour, with most of the activity taking place around midnight. The meteors are slow moving, but very bright. The waxing gibbous moon could outshine this year’s shower.

Nov. 16-17, Leonids

Some of the greatest meteor storms in history have been associated with this event, which can produce rates of thousands of meteors per minute during a span of 15 minutes, as occurred on Nov. 17, 1966. “ Some who witnessed the 1966 Leonid meteor storm said they felt as if they needed to grip the ground, so strong was the impression of Earth plowing along through space, fording the meteoroid stream,” earthsky.org says.

Dec.13-14, Geminids

The last meteor shower of the year is usually one of the finest meteor showers visible in either the Northern or the Southern Hemisphere, but a full moon will be out all night, subduing the typically prolific Geminids, which can produce up to 120 meteors per hour. The shower peaks around 2 a.m.

Dec. 21-22, Ursids

This minor meteor shower often goes unnoticed. Produced by the dust grains left behind by the comet Tuttle, it produces only about five to 10 meteors an hour. The shower runs from Dec. 17-25, but it should peak around Dec. 21. The moon will be 23 days old at the time of peak activity, so it shouldn’t present too much of a problem.

— Patch Editors and Deb Belt Beth Dalbey contributed to this story

»Image: Fred Bruenjes/NASA