The Draconids meteor shower happens every year roughly during October. This year, it peaks on the nights of October 8 and 9. Here is everything you need to know about the shower and how to watch it.
The Draconids meteor shower gets its name from the constellation Draco the Dragon, from which it appears to originate from. It is created when our planet passes through the debris left by the comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner. The debris burns up when it passes through our atmosphere, creating a meteor shower. The 21P/Giacobini-Zinner takes about 6.6 years to revolve around the Sun once.
You don’t really need any special equipment to view a meteor shower, however, you will need a clear sky and lots of patience. Ideally, you will need to find a secluded location far away from the city lights because light pollution makes it more difficult to spot the meteor shower in the night sky.
🔠Tonight the Draconid meteor shower will reach it’s maximum, and is best seen in the evening just after nightfall
🌕 Be aware, the light from the Hunter’s moon may make it more difficult to see
Check out the forecast below to see where the best chance of viewing is 👇 pic.twitter.com/wrsibn2unb
— Met Office (@metoffice) October 8, 2022
Even though the shower is only expected to produce about ten or so meteors every hour but according to EarthSky, the Draconid shower is known to occasionally produce hundreds of meteors every hour. Also, do note that the light from the Moon might make it more difficult to spot the meteors.
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