by Look at the stars this week – some appear to be shooting across the sky. This is due to the Draconid meteor shower peaking this week.
The Draconid meteor shower is an annual event in which meteors – also called “shooting stars” – appear in the skies of the Northern Hemisphere. Typically it occurs in October. This year you can view the Draconids from October 6th to 10th, but the meteor shower will peak on the evening of October 7th until the early morning of October 8th.
What can I expect?
Occasionally, the Draconids cause large bursts of light of thousands of shooting stars per hour. This year, however, the show won’t be nearly as intense – around ten shooting stars per hour are expected to be seen at the peak of the shower.
Read more from AccuWeather: October’s supermoon will occur between two meteor showers
Where is the Draconid meteor shower?
The Draconids got their name because the meteors in this shower appear to come from the direction of the constellation Draco, which snakes between the Big and Little Dippers in the northern sky. To see these shooting stars, however, you don’t have to worry about specifically finding Draco: just look generally at the northern sky and see what you can spot.
Read more from the Weather Network: Fall “meteor shower season” can include rare astronomical treats
What is the best way to see the shower?
To get a good view of the Draconids, it’s best to find a dark place away from light pollution on October 7th. Unlike other meteor showers, which are sometimes best visible later at night, you’re more likely to spot Draconids in the evening right after sunset – so you don’t have to stay up as late! Just give your eyes some time to adjust.
