( CNN ) -- The Orionid meteor shower put on a cosmic light show for the Northern Hemisphere over the weekend . The Orionids peaked early Sunday morning as more than 25 meteors an hour streaked the night sky . The astronomical event caught the attention of many photographers over the weekend . iReporters from across the world stayed up late or woke up early for the chance to catch a glimpse of the meteor shower . Renata Arpasova set her alarm a few hours early , waking up at 1 a.m. to see the Orionids from Wiltshire , England . She found a clear patch of sky and was thrilled to see a few big , bright meteors pass overhead . She described the Orionids as being magical . `` I love meteor showers , and have always been fascinated by them from an early age , '' she said . `` They 're nature 's fireworks , and they are so breathtaking , especially when you get a big fireball that burns through the astrosphere . '' `` And you get to make a wish every time you see a meteor , '' she said . A childhood love of space inspired Robbie Lopez to wake up early to watch for the Orionids as well . He was disappointed to look out his window at 2 a.m. and see extensive cloud coverage in Richmond , Virginia . Determined to capture a photograph of the Orionid meteor shower , he drove 25 minutes to a remote field in Chester , Virginia , and says he was not disappointed with the show . `` The shower itself was quite a beautiful sight , '' he said . `` I had seen the occasional shooting star and had always wanted to see a shower , but never saw one until that night . '' He described the shower as a quick process , with streaks of light dashing across the sky , lasting for only fractions of a second . `` The sheer number of them made the wait in the cold worthwhile , '' he said . `` I was even more surprised by how many more meteors my camera captured that my eyes did not see . '' The quick dashes of light from are produced when the meteoroids strike the planet 's atmosphere at approximately 148,000 mph , according to NASA . Fast meteors have a tendency to explode , becoming fireballs in the sky . Once a meteor explodes in the Earth 's atmosphere , it leaves behind a trail of stardust , which viewers on the ground see as streaks of light , or the meteoric tail . In North Wales , Kevin Lewis watched a late movie to pass the time before the Orionid meteor shower . He sat outside snapping photographs of the Orionids from 1 a.m. to 4 a.m . Despite the chilly weather , he found the experience relaxing . `` Meteors always capture my imagination , '' he said . `` Considering they are mere specks of dust , they have a huge impact on the viewer . '' The Orionid meteor shower occurs annually in October as the Earth passes through a patch of space debris left from the famed Halley 's Comet . The space dust enters the Earth 's atmosphere as meteors , creating what we now refer to as the Orionids , which seems to shoot from the constellation Orion , the Hunter . Although the Orionids is not the strongest meteor shower , it is considered one of the most beautiful , according to NASA . The meteor shower is framed by some of the brightest planets and stars in the sky , like Venus , Mars and Sirius . Did you miss the Orionids ' peak over the weekend ? You may still be able to catch some streaking meteors for the next few days as Earth continues to pass through the remnants from Halley 's Comet . Then post your best photos to iReport !
Every October , Earth experiences a light show from the Orion meteor shower . During the Orionids , more than 25 stars an hour can be seen in the sky . The event is considered one of the most beautiful meteor showers . Scientists from across the world photographed the Orionids over the years .