November Orionid Meteor Shower 2026: When and How to Watch
The November Orionids will reach their peak on November 27–28. Use Sky Tonight to find out when meteors will be most visible. Read on to discover all the details about this astronomical event.
Contents
- November Orionids 2026: When and Where to See
- What Is the November Orionid Meteor Shower?
- Meteor Watching in November: What You Need to Know
- November Orionid Meteor Shower 2026: Conclusion
- More Meteor Showers in November 2026
November Orionids 2026: When and Where to See
- Active: November 13–December 6
- Peak of activity: November 27–28
- Meteors per hour: 3
- Moon phase: waning gibbous
- Radiant location: Orion
- Parent body: unknown; possibly comet C/1917 F1 (Mellish)
- Visible from: both hemispheres
Meteor hourly rates are ZHR estimates: the number of meteors visible in one hour under ideal dark skies with the radiant directly overhead. Actual counts are usually lower.
The November Orionids are a weak meteor shower, typically producing only a few meteors per hour. The parent body of the November Orionids remains uncertain.
November Orionids 2026 visibility forecast
In 2026, the November Orionids are expected to reach their maximum on November 27–28, just a few days after the Full Moon. A bright waning Moon will keep the sky illuminated for much of the night, so only the occasional brighter meteors are likely to be visible. Combined with the shower’s low rate of about 3 meteors per hour, observing the November Orionids in 2026 will be quite challenging. If you still want to give them a try, watch after local midnight and before morning twilight, when the radiant in Orion is higher above the horizon. Try to hide the Moon behind a tree or building to avoid its bright light while it’s still above the horizon. You can also observe the meteor shower a few days after the peak — the Moon will rise later, and the meteor shower will still be active.
What Is the November Orionid Meteor Shower?
The November Orionids are a minor meteor shower active each year from mid-November to early December. Around the peak, their radiant lies in the constellation Orion, roughly 9° north of the red supergiant star Betelgeuse. As Orion is positioned along the celestial equator, the November Orionids can be observed from both hemispheres. Entering the atmosphere at roughly 44 km/s, these meteors are of medium speed and rarely produce bright fireballs.
Researchers disagree about the shower’s origin. The 2011 study suggested Comet C/1917 F1 (Mellish) as a parent body, but modeling published in 2014 did not reproduce a direct connection. The later study considered an old fragment of Mellish or another parent body as possible sources. The origin of the November Orionids therefore remains uncertain.
Are the November Orionids the same as the October Orionids?
No — they are separate meteor showers. Both are named after their apparent radiant locations in Orion. The better-known Orionids peak in October and come from Halley’s Comet. The November Orionids peak in late November, are much weaker, and have an uncertain parent body. Their speeds differ too: the November Orionids enter the atmosphere at about 44 km/s, compared with about 66 km/s for the October Orionids.
Read more about the Orionid meteor shower in October.
Meteor Watching in November: What You Need to Know
To observe a meteor shower properly, you need to know:
- Its activity period and peak night, when the meteor shower is expected to be most active.
- Location of its radiant, a point in the sky from which meteors appear to originate. For better chances of seeing meteors, observe when the radiant is well above the horizon. Note that you don’t have to look exactly at the radiant to see meteors: watch a broad area of sky around it. Meteors farther from the radiant often have longer tails, making them easier to notice.
- ZHR, which stands for zenithal hourly rate. Simply put, this number estimates how many meteors per hour could be seen under ideal observing conditions.
- Moon phase and position: strong moonlight can wash out faint meteors. Check whether the Moon will be above the horizon during your observing session and plan for moonless hours when possible.
No telescope or binoculars are needed. Choose a location away from artificial lights with an open view of the sky. Allow at least 20–30 minutes for your eyes to adjust, avoid bright phone screens, and watch a broad area rather than staring directly at the radiant.
Here, we provide the information along these points for the November Orionids, but you can instantly get detailed reports on every meteor shower via the Sky Tonight app. It features a comprehensive list of meteor showers, including their activity periods and peak dates, along with a lunar calendar and an interactive sky map, which can help you find the radiant in the sky from your location.
For more tips, see our infographic on how to observe and photograph meteor showers.
November Orionid Meteor Shower 2026: Conclusion
Observing conditions for the November Orionids will be challenging this year: the maximum occurs just a few days after the November 24 Full Moon, so a bright waning Moon will wash out most faint meteors. Still, the radiant in Orion is visible in both hemispheres, reaching its highest point after midnight, though it remains lower in the sky for southern observers. Keep expectations low, choose the darkest site you can, and treat any November Orionid you spot as a pleasant surprise rather than a guarantee.
Use a stargazing app like Sky Tonight to locate the meteor shower’s radiant in the sky above you and prepare for observations.
More Meteor Showers in November 2026
The November Orionids aren’t the only source of November shooting stars. The Leonids remain active until November 30, while the Northern Taurids continue into December. Check out our guide to meteor showers in November to see which showers are active this month.
