- Draconid Meteor Shower on October 9.
- Visible in evening, northern sky.
- Variable meteor activity predicted.
If you have an interest in astronomy, make sure Monday evening is marked in your calendar.
The Draconid Meteor Shower will peak on October 9, offering a great chance to see shooting stars from the UK.
Unlike most meteor showers, which are best seen in the early morning, the Draconids are most visible in the evening, after darkness falls.
Experts predict that during the peak, you may spot as many as ten meteors per hour.
Details on how and when to observe the Draconid Meteor Shower in your area are outlined in this comprehensive article.
This year, the Draconid Meteor Shower takes place from October 6-10, with the highest activity occurring on Monday, October 9th.
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Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through a cloud of cometary debris. In this case, the Draconid meteor shower originates from the remnants of comet 21 P/Giacobini-Zinner.
It’s named after the constellation Draco, from which its radiant point originates – the specific location in the sky where the meteors appear to come from.
Draco is a long and winding constellation, easily visible in the northern sky for those in the Northern Hemisphere. It’s positioned above the Big Dipper and the North Star, Polaris.
While the Draconids are most prominently seen in the Northern Hemisphere, they can still be observed in the Southern Hemisphere, especially near the equator. This is because the shower’s radiant point matches the northern sky’s Draco peak.
The Royal Observatory Greenwich notes that the meteor rate during the Draconid shower’s peak depends on the specific part of the comet’s path that Earth’s orbit intersects in any given year.
The observatory describes the Draconids as “variable,” meaning the nature of the light show is unpredictable.
“The Draconids haven’t shown any significant increases in activity in recent years,” states the Royal Observatory Greenwich on its website. “However, the Draconids produced some of the most active displays of the 20th century in 1933 and 1946.”
To best observe the stars, find a location with a clear and unobstructed view of the sky.
Avoid densely populated areas because they create light pollution; if possible, head to the countryside at night.
The Royal Observatory Greenwich advises, “Make sure there are no direct sources of light in your eyes so you can fully adapt to local conditions and ensure fainter meteors become visible.”
“Using binoculars or a telescope won’t provide any advantage; simply use your own eyes for the widest possible view of the sky.”
