When It Peaks and How to Watch It
Make sure your desires are aligned because more shooting stars are ahead of us!
Get ready to raise your eyes to the sky, as the annual Draconids are expected to peak in just a few days, marking the first of October’s two meteor showers.
Luckily for space fans, there are several opportunities during the spooky season to catch a glimpse of some kind of celestial spectacle. Unfortunately for stargazers, this meteor shower will be harder to see due to the conflicting full moon.
On September 10, October’s Harvest Moon will be at its fullest. While this will be an exciting opportunity for moon lovers to locate the giant, orange orb high in the sky, its moonlight poses a threat to viewers trying to spot the sleepy Drago stars.
But be alert when the dragon awakens! Seeming to emanate from the constellation Draco the Dragon, the Draconids have the potential to spew tens of thousands of fiery stars across the night sky in a rare event known as a meteor storm.
From when it’s expected to peak to how you can spot them, here’s everything you need to know about the Draconian meteor shower.
When will the draconian meteor shower peak?
Unlike many meteor showers, the Draconids are short-lived, remaining active only from October 6th to 10th. For a chance to see the most shooting stars, catch the Draconids at their peak on the night of October 8th-10th. 9 early morning this year.
How many draconids will you see in the sky?
The reason we see sparkling dust scattering in the sky is due to the meteor’s parent comet, created by Michel Giacobini on December 20, 1900. Hence its name is Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner.
When Earth crosses the parent comet’s orbit, the debris left behind collides with Earth’s upper atmosphere, forming the Draconids. Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner has an orbital period of about 6.6 years, according to EarthSky.org.
Though moonlight obscures star visibility from Earth, the Draconids are expected to produce about 10 to 20 meteors per hour at their peak, according to NASA. While this shower isn’t particularly rich, it can be exceptional depending on the comet’s distance from the Sun.
When the comet’s perihelion (its closest point to the sun) coincides with the peak of the shower, a rare meteor storm can occur, producing thousands of meteor showers per hour. There hasn’t been a storm of this caliber since 1946.
Where does the draconian meteor shower appear in the sky?
While comets are the true starting point for meteor showers, many tend to think they originate from their radiant, or the point in the sky where the stars appear to be darting. For the Draconids, their radiant is the constellation Draco the Dragon in the northern sky.
Despite their bright spot, the Draconids can be spotted anywhere in the sky. The only thing standing in your way? The big beautiful full moon (who can complain?)!
What meteor shower comes after the Draconids?
The meteor shower that follows the Draconids is the Orionids, which will take place at the end of the month. The Orionids are expected to peak on October 21, but will remain active through November 22 of this year.