Head outside and enjoy the show! Find out how to spot meteors with our guide.
The annual Draconids and Orionids meteor showers come to town this month. Here's what to expect...
Draconids
Around ten meteors an hour, but some years feature meteor storms with hundreds an hour.
When: peaking in the early evening on 7 and 8 October - no need to stay up late to spot them!
Orinids
Around 15 meteors an hour, produced by the debris stream from Halley's Comet, with occasional bright fireballs.
When: 20 and 21 October.
Astronomical glossary
Asteroid: rocky, smaller than a planet and very old; often left over from the formation of the Solar System.
Meteor: an asteroid that burns and vaporises as it enters the earth's atmosphere; AKA a shooting star.
Meteorite: any meteor that survives the plunge through the atmosphere and lands on the surface of the Earth.
Comet: a relatively small odd that orbits the Sun, displaying a fuzzy outline and sometimes a tail.
The Simple Things guide to meteor-spotting is part of October's Miscellany: a curious combination of the practical and the playful. Turn to page 123 of The Simple Things for more. Buy or download your copy now.
And look out for November's The Simple Things - stargazing and a trip to the moon and stars!
Image: The radiant meteor storm of 9 October 1933, Larousse Encyclopedia of Astronomy, found on Pinterest.