Johannesburg, South Africa
Orionids 2027 from Johannesburg
The Orionids peak on the night of Thursday, October 21. From Johannesburg the best time to watch is the last dark hour, before about 4:35 AM, when the radiant is partway up in the north. Under a dark sky that means up to about 9 meteors an hour. From inside the city you will see far fewer.
The night at a glance
- Gets dark
- 7:09 PM
- Radiant rises
- 10:59 PM
- Best time
- The last hour before 4:35 AM
- Light again
- 4:35 AM
- Moon
- 59% lit, rises around 12:19 AM
Times are local to Johannesburg, worked out for the city centre. Dark means the sun is 12 degrees below the horizon.
Where to look
Meteors can appear anywhere in the sky. They streak away from the radiant, which sits partway up in the north at its best. Face that way but keep your gaze wide. Give your eyes twenty minutes to adjust and keep your phone in your pocket. The darker your spot, the more you will see.
About the Orionids
The Orionids are active from early October to early November. The meteors are debris from Halley's Comet (1P/Halley) and hit the atmosphere at about 66 km per second. At the peak, a perfectly dark sky with the radiant overhead would show about 20 an hour. Real counts are lower.