The Orionid meteor shower returns each fall with one of the most brilliant displays in the night sky. This year, however, a bright moon may make some of its quickly flashing meteors more difficult to see.

Unlike the recent Draconid meteor shower, which favored people who prefer an earlier bedtime, the Orionids reward patience after midnight. Viewers can stay up late or rise during the dark hours before dawn for their best opportunity.

The annual shower occurs when Earth travels through the trail of debris left behind by Halley’s comet. Pieces of that material enter Earth’s atmosphere, creating the streaks of light that viewers see crossing the sky.

The Orionids are predicted to peak at 2 p.m. ET Wednesday, according to EarthSky. Because that peak occurs during daylight for many observers, the most promising viewing period will come during the overnight hours between Wednesday and Thursday.

People across both the Northern and Southern hemispheres should begin seeing meteors after midnight local time. The timing makes the Orionids a celestial event suited to dedicated night owls and determined early risers.

Moonlight will be the biggest obstacle during part of the viewing period. The waxing gibbous moon will be 76% illuminated Wednesday night, just a few days before the full moon rises on October 26, according to the American Meteor Society.

That brightness could wash out some of the shower’s dimmer meteors. Fortunately for viewers, the moon is expected to set a few hours before sunrise, opening a darker and more favorable window for spotting the Orionids.

During that optimal window, sky watchers could see up to 20 meteors per hour. Actual visibility will depend on whether observers can escape intense light pollution and find a broad view of the night sky.

Orionid meteors are known for their exceptional speed. They streak through Earth’s atmosphere at 41 miles per second, or 66 kilometers per second, according to NASA.

Some of the glowing pieces can produce lingering trains that remain visible after the meteor flashes. These trails may persist for anywhere from several seconds to several minutes before disappearing from view.

Larger pieces of debris can produce exceptionally luminous fireballs as they break apart in the atmosphere. Those brighter events may be easier to notice even when moonlight makes fainter meteors harder to detect.

The shower takes its name from the Orion constellation because the meteors appear to originate from that direction. Despite that apparent starting point, viewers can see meteors across the night sky rather than only around Orion.

Halley’s comet completes an orbit around the sun about every 76 years. As it follows that path, the comet sheds dust and debris that remain behind and form the trail Earth encounters each October.

The comet follows a retrograde orbit, meaning it moves around the sun in the opposite direction. Earth also crosses Halley’s debris trail each May, producing a separate annual event known as the Eta Aquariid meteor shower.

Finding a location away from strong artificial lighting offers the best chance of seeing the Orionids. Urban areas filled with streetlights can make the shower less visible, particularly while the bright moon remains above the horizon.

Observers can sit in a reclining lawn chair or lie on their backs to take in a wide section of sky. With the moon setting before sunrise, the darkest predawn hours offer the strongest opportunity to catch the shower at its most visible.

The Orionids will not be the final meteor shower available to viewers as the end of the year approaches. Additional celestial displays remain ahead, with the American Meteor Society providing peak dates for those upcoming showers.