Orionid meteor shower spotted over Buckinghamshire skies

One eagle-eyed member of the public noticed the lights in the evening of Sunday, October 22, and whilst believing it may be another lifeform making their presence known to planet Earth, it was later confirmed what the event was.

Saturday and Sunday night were when this year’s Orionid meteor shower peaked – this meant stargazers across the country were able to fill their boots with the solar activity taking place above them.

Earth is approaching a stream of debris from Halley's Comet, source of the Orionid meteor shower. Forecasters expect the shower to peak on Sun, Oct. 22nd, with 15/20 meteors/h. The best time to look is during the dark hours before sunrise when Orion the Hunter is high in the sky. pic.twitter.com/Aul7ZJHdt4

— Erika #PlanetaryDefense  (@ExploreCosmos_) October 21, 2023

What is an Orionid meteor shower?

The Orionid meteor shower is made up of pieces of Comet 1P/Halley, better known as Halley’s comet.

This comet is rare in that it passes close enough to Earth to be seen with the naked eye, a phenomenon which happens every 75-76 years, making it the only naked-eye comet that can appear twice in a human lifetime.

Orionid meteor shower is tonight, with the most meteors after midnight and increasing until dawn. These meteors are debris from the last visit of Halley’s comment in 1986 (returning 2061) pic.twitter.com/Y5hElOa8Gb

— Gus Mally (@MallyNoShow) October 22, 2023

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This phenomenon caught the attention of many in the South East, who took to social media to let others know about what they saw.

Sightings were seen not only in High Wycombe but also in Flackwell Heath and across the border in Henley.

Despite the peak being on October 21 and 22 respectively, meteor showers can still be seen until November 7.

To see photos of the event taking place in Buckinghamshire, visit the High Wycombe Facebook page by clicking here.