Draconids meteor shower peaks tonight so here’s how and when to watch the AMAZING show
STARGAZERS across the country are excitedly anticipating the Draconid Meteor Shower, which will reach its peak tonight.
If you look up to the stars this evening, you can expect to see dozens of shooting stars seen falling from the sky.
But you'll need some help if you want to get the best out of the Draconids, so here's our guide to enjoying this celestial spectacle.
How can I watch the Draconid shower?
Eagle-eyed space geeks can observe the shower with the naked eye, without the need for a telescope.
However, The Met Office told us that the weather could be a bit cloudy tonight and advised Brits to keep an eye for breaks in the cloud, which are difficult to predict.
It may be difficult to catch a glimpse of the fragments, as they usually fall fast and appear quite faint in the sky.
Occasionally, a particularly bright meteor may fall, which could potentially be visible even on a moonlit night.
What is the Draconid shower?
The scientific phenomenon gets its name from the Draco the Dragon constellation which lies in the far northern part of the sky.
The meteors, associated with the Giacobini-Zinner Comet, meaning they are sometimes known as the Giacobinids, occur every year in October.
When the conditions of the night are right, dozens of ‘shooting stars’ can be seen falling from the sky.
When will it occur?
The Draconid shower, unusually, can best be seen during the evening just as night falls on October 7 and October 8. The show is best viewed the further north the stargazer is.
How many meteors will there be?
The word ‘shower’ suggests that many meteors will fall frequently, almost resembling rain.
Despite this, the Draconids are normally a modest shower, but fortunately the crescent moon shouldn't do too much to obscure them.
With The Draconids, around 10-20 meteors fall from the sky per hour.
Where can you watch it?
The darker location you visit, the brighter the meteors will appear in the sky.
It’s advisable to take a trip out of your city to find somewhere more remote.
This will prevent the experience from being ruined by artificial lights.
With meteor showers you must be prepared to wait, so star gazers are advised to bring something to sit or lie down on.
Unfortunately, there are a couple of drawbacks to the display. The Draconids tend to be fairly faint and will be competing with a bright moon, less than four days from a full moon.
The best advice is to look towards the northern half of the night sky, away from the Moon.
The other problem is that much of the UK may be cloudy on Friday or Saturday night, although there could be breaks in the cloud, especially in the eastern half of England.
If the Draconid has got you hooked, here's when the next meteor showers are due to fall this year.
Happy stargazing.
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