Psyched to see some shooting stars? Gaze skyward this evening, and you may witness the annual Draconid meteor shower.
Named for Draco, the northern constellation from which they appear to stem, the Draconids return around this time each year as Earth goes through the particles trail of the Comet 21p/Giacobini-Zinner. Fast-moving bits of particles from comet routes produce streaks of light as they burn up in our atmosphere. As meteor showers go, observers can count on seeing countless meteors per hour.
The shower is called “Draconid” due to the fact that it was once thought that the stars were shooting from Draco’s mouth, but in actuality, the meteors are just particles from Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, which is presently passing by Earth.
The Draconid shower is one of three meteor showers this month. The Taurids peak on Oct. 10, the Orionids on Oct. 21– though the latter shower may be difficult to see because of the full moon.
Find a place outside where bushes and trees block any surrounding’ lights, then allow your eyes to dilate as much as possible. This means no lights, or phones, and looking at the night sky for at least 20 minutes. You will now have the ability to see a lot more.
The very best part about the Draconid meteor shower is that you don’t have to get up in the wee hours of the morning to witness it like you would with other showers. The show begins right at sunset so there’s no way you can miss it, but in case you do, here’s a spectacular video of the Perseid Meteor Shower in 2012:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vroLnrBhbmk SHARE this news with your friends and family on Facebook so they do not miss this amazing meteor shower!
