Autumn meteor shower to peak October 21

(ANSA) - Rome, October 21 - Stargazers should get ready for a night of shooting stars because the Orionid meteor shower is about to peak, astronomers said Tuesday.
    The most prolific yearly meteor shower associated with Halley's Comet is likely to peak on the night between October 21 and 22. The Orionids, so named because they appear to originate from a point within the constellation of Orion, always arrive in autumn because that's when the Earth crosses through a section of space rife with debris from Halley's Comet, which was last seen in the inner parts of the Solar System in 1986 and will next appear in mid-2061.
    The Orionids last approximately one week in late October.
    In some years, meteors may occur at rates of 50-70 per hour.