The Orionids are so-called because the point they appear to come from, called the radiant, lies in the constellation Orion, but they can be seen over a large area of the sky.

A. S. Herschel produced the first documented record that gave accurate forecasts for the next meteor shower.

These particles continue on the comet's trajectory and appear as meteors ("falling stars") when they pass through Earth's upper atmosphere.

[13] * This meteor shower may give double peaks as well as plateaus, and time periods of flat maxima lasting several days.

[9] The radiant of the Orionids is located between the constellations Orion and Gemini (in the southeastern sky before dawn, as viewed from mid-northern latitudes.