Photographer Tommy Eliassen captured this spectacular view of an Orionid meteor streaking through the dazzling northern lights and Milky Way from his camp in Korgfjellet, Hemnes, Norway, on Oct. 20, 2012, during the peak of the 2012 Orionid meteor shower.
An Orionid meteor streaks across the night sky over Huntsville, Ala., in this view from a camera at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center before dawn on Oct. 21, 2012, during the peak of the Orionid meteor shower.
Photographer Charlie Prince snapped this photo of an Orionid meteor over Edwards, Calif., on Oct. 21, 2012, during the peak of the 2012 Orionid meteor shower. He used a Canon PowerShot S5 IS on a Celestron CG-5GT equatorial mount, with settings at F2.7 ISO 400, 64-second exposure.
Observer Dale Mayotte snapped this photo of a meteor during the peak of the 2012 Orionid meteor shower on Oct. 21, 2012, from Clinton township in Michigan.It was Mayotte's 38th birthday, an "excellent present," he said. He used a Canon Rebel 500D at F8 and 18mm during an 11-second exposure to take the shot.
An Orionid meteor streaks across the night sky over Huntsville, Ala., in this view from a camera at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center before dawn on Oct. 21, 2012, during the peak of the Orionid meteor shower.
Stargazer Kevin Palmer of Brighton, Wisc., captured this image of a faint Orionid meteor (center left, above the tree) during the peak of the 2012 Orionid meteor shower on Oct. 21, 2012.
Skywatcher Michael Plishka captured this image of an Orionid meteor shower from Lake Villa, Illinois, during the 2012 Orionid meteor shower peak on Oct. 21, 2012.
Wes Jones caught the fireball over Belmont, CA, at 7:44 PM PDT, Oct. 17, 2012, using the camera at http://astrobytes.net/AllSky3.html.
False-color image of a 2012 Orionid meteor, seen over Tullahoma, Tenn.
This image of the California fireball was taken on Oct. 17, 2012, by Rachel Fritz and Rick Nolthenius of Cabrillo College, Aptos, CA.
This year’s best viewing will be in the several hours around midnight October 20 and before dawn on October 21, according to the editors of StarDate magazine.
Lick Observatory posted a video of the California fireball that appeared Oct. 17, 2012. They wrote: "Raw footage of meteor breaking up over San Jose captured by our security camera from the Lick Observatory. (Camera is a little out of focus and tilted) Round structure to the left is the 40 inch Nickel refracting telescope dome. Lights in the background are from the San Jose cityscape."
The Orionids are remnants of Halley’s Comet scattered along its orbit, one of the finest meteor showers in the year. The meteors appear to radiate from a point just between Orion’s club and the Gemini twins’ feet, but may be seen anywhere in the sky.
Meteors emerge from Halley's Comet as it travels through the solar system.
Astrophotographer Jeffrey Root took this photo of an Orionid meteor on Oct. 21, 2012, in the western desert of Utah.
Astrophotographer Eric Bender caught the Orionid meteor shower in the desert just outside Phoenix, Arizona, Oct. 22, 2012.
Astrophotographer Jason Hullinger took some shots of the Orionid meteor shower in Red Canyon State Park, CA near Mojave/California City, Oct. 21, 2012. This shot combines three consecutive frames, and includes two different meteors and a car passing by to light up the cliffs.
Astrophotographer Jodi Martin shot this Orionid meteor over Blairsville, GA, Oct. 21, 2012.
Astrophotographer David Murr caught an Orionid meteor over Louisa, VA, Oct. 21, 2012.
Astrophotographer Michelle Vann sent in a photo of an Orionid meteor she took in the Outer Banks (Hatteras, NC), on Oct. 21, 2012.
Astrophotographer Larry D. Helwig took this photo of an Orionid meteor in the western suburbs of Las Vegas, NV, looking toward the Strip, Oct. 21, 2012.
Astrophotographer Daniel McVey took this photo of an Orionid meteor in Summit County, CO, Oct. 21, 2012.
