comet

All meteor showers originate from the debris field of comets or asteroids.

A recent theory as to why Encke has such a large debris stream is that it was once part of a larger comet that broke up about 20,000 years ago.

Visible until 7 November this year, the Orionids are an annual event and one of two meteor showers to originate from one of the best known comets in our Solar System - Halley's Comet.

And when people are ogling the night sky this week, they should also keep an eye out for two additional celestial sightings — Saturn and the appearance of an ancient Oort cloud comet, she added.

This week marks the last opportunity to see the "comet of the century", before it disappears for another 80,000 years.