Draconid Meteor Shower Peaks This Week

The annual Draconid meteor shower will reach its peak overnight on Oct. 8 and 9, 2015. This image by skywatcher Richard Klofac of the Czech Republic shows a Draconid meteor streaking over Klofac’s garden during the October 2011 display. Credit: Richard Klofac

Skywatchers have a chance to see some “shooting stars” this week with the annual Draconid meteor shower. The meteor display, which peaks overnight on Thursday and Friday (Oct. 8 and 9) is caused by the remains of a comet raining down on Earth.

Weather permitting, skywatchers can see the Draconid meteor shower radiating out from the constellation Draco (the Dragon) near the triangle formed by the stars Deneb, Altair and Vega. NASA estimates that, on average, about 10 to 20 meteors per hour will be visible during the Draconids.

What’s more, according to EarthSky.org , the moon will be just a faint crescent, allowing for excellent views of the shower.

While the Draconids appear to be coming from the constellation Draco, in reality they are remnants of debris shed by Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, which orbits the sun once every 6.5 years. Around 1900, according to a NASA description , the comet ejected a stream of particles that intersects Earth’s orbit, spawning the annual meteor display.

To watch a meteor shower , no special equipment is needed. Simply take a lawn chair, bundle up against the cold if you are in chillier parts of the United States, Europe or Canada, and sit outside watching the sky.

This NASA sky map shows the location of the Draconid meteor shower radiant in the northwestern night sky at 2 a.m. your local time on Oct. 9, 2015 during the shower’s peak, which occurs overnight on Oct. 8 and 9.
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

You do need to pick a viewing spot well away from city lights, which can reduce the number of meteors visible during the night. Binoculars or telescopes are not of much use because meteors travel unpredictably and typically only last a couple of seconds.

While a meteor looks spectacular in the sky, a shower like the Draconids does not have particles big enough to make it all the way down to Earth. These particles burn up high in the atmosphere and are generally slow moving, distinguishing them from other random meteors you may see throughout the evening.

Editor’s note: If you capture an amazing image of the night sky that you would like to share with Space.com and its news partners for a story or photo gallery, send photos and comments in to managing editor Tariq Malik at: spacephotos@space.com.

Follow Elizabeth Howell @howellspace , or Space.com @Spacedotcom . We’re also on Facebook  and Google+ . Original article on Space.com .

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