Tonight is Orionid peak night, and the dark hours after moonset and before dawn give you your best chance this year to catch one. (Royal Observatory; Orionids guide)

• Evening Moon: After the 6:13 PM sunset, look toward the south and southeast. At our mid-Atlantic reference near Allentown, Pennsylvania, the Moon is highest at 9:34 PM Eastern, about four fifths lit and very bright (sunset timetable; Moon timetable).
• Orionids before dawn: The Moon sets at 3:19 AM Eastern on Thursday, October 22. After that, find a dark spot away from porch lights, lie back, and scan broadly overhead rather than only toward Orion. Meteors can appear anywhere in the sky, so a wide view beats a narrow one (Moon timetable; Orionids guide).

The Royal Observatory lists the Orionid maximum for October 21. Before moonset, bright moonlight hides the fainter streaks, so if you can only go out once, aim for that short window before dawn. Clouds tonight? Tomorrow morning still offers a good chance (Royal Observatory; Orionids guide).

Moon note: Waxing gibbous (more than half lit and growing), 81 percent illuminated; moonrise is 3:58 PM Eastern today at our reference location (phase calendar; Moon timetable).

Set an alarm, grab a warm blanket, and join the free NOOMMED newsletter for more backyard sky plans.