As Earth once again prepares to pass through an area of space littered with debris from Halley's Comet, those of us down here on the surface will have a prime opportunity to catch the Orionid meteor shower.

NASA says the Orionid meteor showers become active each year between Oct. 2 and Nov. 7, and that at its peak there are 15 meteors per hour in moonless skies. Space.com reports this year's showers should reach its peak overnight between Oct. 21 and 22.

The U.S. space agency touts the Orionids as "one of the most beautiful showers of the year" and that they are known for their brightness and speed as they move at about 148,000 mph through our atmosphere.

When showers move this fast through the sky, that's when they leave "glowing incandescent bits of debris" and create the fireball-like appearance.

"Look for prolonged explosions of light when viewing the Orionid meteor shower. The Orionids are also framed by some of the brightest stars in the night sky, which lend a spectacular backdrop for theses showy meteors," NASA says on its website.

"The Orionids are viewable in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres during the hours after midnight. Find an area well away from city or street lights. Come prepared with a sleeping bag, blanket or lawn chair. Lie flat on your back with your feet facing southeast if you are in the Northern Hemisphere or northeast if you are in the Southern Hemisphere, and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible."

PASS IT ON: Orionid meteor shower peaks on the night of October 20th through the predawn hours of October 21st. Around 10-20 meteors will be possible per hour! #MeteorShower #Space pic.twitter.com/wCeYmo5BvV — Mark Tarello (@mark_tarello) October 7, 2018

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The space agency says that after about 30 minutes of looking up at the dark sky that people's eyes will start to adapt and allow them to view the meteors. Patience is a key factor in taking in this beautiful sight as they typically last until dawn once they start.

As for the origin story behind these showers, the pieces of debris come from the Halley's Comet which takes about 76 years to complete one orbit of the sun. The comet itself was last visible from Earth to the "casual observer" back in 1986, and will not enter our inner solar system until 2061.

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Check back with MLive.com closer to peak viewing days for a more complete weather and sky update. Viewing possibilities are largely dependent on the moon and obviously a clear sky.