Fragments of Halley’s Comet, which comes after every 76 years, to light up the night sky this week: All you need to know

Skywatchers are in for an autumn celestial treat this week as debris from arguably the solar system's most famous cosmic visitor, Halley's Comet, streaks across the night sky in the annual Orionid meteor shower. While the comet itself only visits the inner solar system once every 76 years, tiny fragments left trailing in its ancient orbital path will collide with Earth's atmosphere, vaporizing into fast-moving “shooting stars.” Alongside the meteor shower, the stargazing calendar from Monday, October 19 through Sunday, October 25 features major planetary movements, including Venus transitioning between morning and evening skies and a close encounter between a bright waxing moon and Saturn.When and how to watch the OrionidsThe Orionids reach their peak activity overnight from Wednesday, October 21 into Thursday, October 22, capable of producing up to 20 shooting stars per hour under dark, clear skies, as per a report in Forbes.