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true no matter what time zone you're in. If you're in Asia, you might want to lean a bit toward the morning of October 22. We've already been hearing from people who are seeing Orionid meteors, so if you look outside on any of these mornings, you should catch sight of at least one meteor or shooting star.
• What planets are visible in the sky after midnight now? The planet Jupiter beams to the northeast of Orion in October 2012. Also, in the hours before dawn, the dazzling planet Venus comes into view in the eastern sky. How can you identify Jupiter and Venus? By their brightness! They are brighter than Sirius, the sky's brightest star. Venus is brighter than Jupiter.
• Looking for a sky almanac? EarthSky recommends…
• Where do the Orionid meteors come from? Earth crosses the orbit of the famous Comet Halley every year in October. The meteors are debris from this comet that enter Earth's atmosphere and vaporize as they fall.
• How many meteors can you expect to see? The number will vary greatly depending on when and where you watch. Meteor showers are not entirely predictable. That's the fun of them! At most, you might see about 25 meteors per hour, or one meteor every few minutes. But even one bright meteor can be memorable. Have fun.
• Bottom line: The 2012 Orionid meteor shower will peak this weekend, with forecasters giving the nod to Sunday, October 21, in the hours between midnight and dawn. If you're in Asia, you might lean more toward the morning of October 22. But October 20 might be good, too. You'll need a cloud-free sky, away from city lights.
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