Predawn meteor showers predicted

• Meteor showers predicted for predawn hours of Tuesday, October 21


• NASA official expects 20 meteors per hour at peak


• The meteors are called "Orionids" because they come out of the constellation Orion

(CNN) -- If you wake up early enough on Tuesday, you might see some shooting stars.

The predawn sky may be full of meteors as the Earth passes through a debris stream from Halley's Comet. This happens every October, NASA says.

"We expect to see about 20 meteors per hour when the shower peaks on Tuesday morning, Oct 21st," Bill Cooke, the head of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office, said in a NASA press release. "With no moon to spoil the show, observing conditions should be ideal."

For the best viewing, Cooke suggests going outside one to two hours before sunrise when the constellation Orion is high overhead. He says you should lie down on a blanket with a broad view of the sky.

"Be prepared for speed," he said. "Meteoroids from Halley's Comet strike Earth's atmosphere traveling 148,000 mph. Only the November Leonids are faster."

These meteors are called "Orionids" because they come out of the constellation Orion.

"The Orionid meteor shower is not the strongest, but it is one of the most beautiful showers of the year," Cooke said.