The Orionid meteor shower will be visible in Sheffield’s night sky tonight in the UK. Here’s how you can see the shooting stars for yourself.

A rare meteor shower, most commonly known as the Orionids, will be visible for Sheffield residents to see during October. The meteors will be clear in the night sky across the whole of the UK.

The Orionids are small chunks of rock that have broken off from Halley’s Comet, which itself can only be seen from Earth once every 75-79 years. The shower has been known to produce meteors, or ‘shooting stars’ at a rate of 50 to 70 per hour.

Earlier in the month, stargazers in Sheffield were treated to the Draconid meteor shower. So, if that has whet your appetite and you’d like to see another celestial spectacle, you’re in luck - the Orionids aren’t far away.

The Orionid meteor shower passed over the UK last year at roughly the same time of year, reaching their peak visibility on October 21.

Here’s everything you need to know about viewing this year’s event, including any equipment you might need and the best times for seeing them.

Equipment needed to view the Orionid meteor shower

You won’t need any sort of special equipment to see the Orionid meteor shower, such as a telescope or even binoculars. They are clearly visible with the naked eye - you’ll just need to find an area with as little light pollution as possible.

When will the Orionid meteor shower be at peak visibility?

Across the UK, including Sheffield, the Orionid meteor shower will reach its peak visibility between midnight of Friday (October 21) and the early hours of Saturday (October 22). The Met Office predicts the weather will be dry, but relatively cloudy in Sheffield during this time. While clear skies are, of course, the best stargazing conditions, at least you should stay dry and you may still catch a glimpse of the phenomenon between breaks in the cloud.