How are the Orionid and Eta Aquarid meteor showers related to Halley’s Comet?

The Orionid and Eta Aquarid meteor showers are both caused by debris shed from Halley’s Comet over millennia of its orbit around the Sun.1

As the comet travels through the solar system, it undergoes a slow disintegration process, distributing dust particles and larger grains along its orbital path. Because Earth’s own orbit intersects this stream of cometary debris annually, our planet passes through the material twice each year. This interaction results in the two distinct meteor showers:12

• Eta Aquarid meteor shower: Occurs annually around May 3 as Earth passes through one part of the debris stream.23
• Orionid meteor shower: Occurs annually around October 21 as Earth passes through another section of the same stream.23

These showers are named for the constellations where their radiants—the points in the sky from which the meteors appear to originate—are located.23