DALLAS — If you're outside this weekend, be sure to look up. As you do, you could catch a spectacular meteor shower right at its peak.
According to the American Meteor Society, the Orionids meteor shower will peak on Oct. 21 and 22, but it will last until almost Thanksgiving.
While the weather forecast may mean you see some clouds while stargazing this weekend, you should still be able to catch some "shooting stars" in the gaps.
And it's worth trying to!
These meteors appear each year around this time because Earth enters an area of space littered with debris from Halley's Comet, according to NASA.
Scientists at NASA consider the Orionids one of the "most beautiful showers" of the year. The annual display is known for its brightness and speed — with meteors traveling about 148,000 mph into Earth's atmosphere, the agency says.
Some years have been more active than others in terms of visible meteors. But, on average, you can expect to see 10 to 20 meteors in an hour.
Because the Orionids are so fast, they can leave glowing "trains" — incandescent bits of debris — behind them, which can last between just a few seconds to several minutes. If the meteors go fast enough, they occasionally become fireballs, which will look like "prolonged explosions of light," NASA adds.
According to forecasters, the Orionids will peak on Sunday, Oct. 22. NASA says the best hours to see it are just after midnight. This means you could start seeing them before midnight on Saturday, Oct. 21 through the overnight hours on Sunday.
For optimal viewing, find an area as far away from city or street lights as possible in order to have the best, clearest view of the night sky. Pack a sleeping bag, blanket or lawn chair so you can relax and keep comfortable.
If you can, lie flat on your back with your feet facing southeast and look up.
Locating the Orion constellation, for which these meteors are named, might help you locate where in the sky to look so you can see the "shooting stars."
Oh, and don't worry if you don't see anything right away! Experts say it can take around 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the dark — but then you should be able to start seeing meteors.
If you miss the show this weekend, though, don't fret: The skies will stay active, on a smaller scale, through Nov. 22.
