The Orionid Meteor shower 2009 is in full bloom tonight (October 21 in the US, October 22 in Australia) for those who enjoy their star gazing.

The Orionids are an annual meteor shower that occurs at and are named after their radiant, which is located near the constellation Orion. The meteor shower runs from October 17-25, and at its peak produces from 30-200 meteors per hour.

Notably the Orionids are produced by Halley’s Comet, which last passed through the inner solar system in 1986 on its 75-to-76-year orbit.

The best time to view the Orionid Meteor Shower 2009 is between midnight and 5:30 a.m, with the absolute peak expected at 3am. The shower will be visible to the naked eye and will primarily appear in the North East. If you sleep in or can’t stay up tonight, the shower will still offer a decent show through to Friday morning.