✦ Orionids from Cape Town
Orionids in Cape Town
09
days
:
04
hrs
:
09
min
:
45
sec
The Orionids meteor shower peaks from Cape Town around Oct 21, with up to 20 meteors per hour under ideal conditions. In 2026 a bright moon will hide most meteors except the brightest, and from Cape Town the radiant in Orion climbs to 39° above the north horizon around 04:25. Local best viewing window: 02:15–04:25 SAST on the peak night, about 2.2 hours of astronomical darkness. Scaled to that altitude, the 20/hour headline figure works out to roughly 13 meteors an hour from Cape Town under a genuinely dark sky. Tonight: solid cover, with no real breaks forecast.
2026 Conditions in Cape Town
Peak Night
Oct 21
Meteors/Hour Here
~13
20 with the radiant overhead
Moon
🌔 Poor
Best Viewing
02:15 — 04:25
SAST · radiant 39° north
Tonight's Weather in Cape Town
How to Watch from Cape Town
- Find a dark spot away from city lights — parks, hilltops, or rooftops work well
- Lie on your back and look straight up — no telescope needed
- Give your eyes 20 minutes to adapt to the dark
- Face north — Orion reaches 39° at 04:25 SAST, its highest while the sky is still dark