Draconids meteor shower 2017 – when can I see it, what time, how and what time does it peak?
AMATEUR astronomers across the country are excitedly anticipating the Draconid Meteor Shower, which is taking place over the weekend.
Here’s everything you know about the mesmerising scientific event and the best way to catch it in the UK.
What is the Draconid Meteor Shower?
The stunning display will see up to 1,000 shooting stars dazzle through the skies this weekend.
This 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, mean they are sometimes known as the Giacobinids.
Every year in October, the Draconid Meteor Shower spawns from the comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, which rounds the sun every 6.6 years.
When is the Draconid Meteor Shower taking place? When does it peak?
The Draconid shower can best be seen during the evening just as night falls on Saturday, October 7 and Sunday, October 8.
On these days there is reasonable chance of Earth travelling through a swarm of debris left behind the comet.
When this happens meteors appear as bright shooting stars when they enter the Earth's atmosphere and burn up.
How many meteors will there be in the Draconid Meteor Shower?
The word "shower" suggests that many meteors will fall frequently, almost resembling rain.
According to space website : “Usually, this meteor shower offers no more than a handful of languid meteors per hour, even at its peak.
“But this shower has been known to rain down hundreds or even thousands of meteors in an hour.”
How can you watch the Draconid Meteor Shower in the UK?
Stargazers across the UK are well-placed to see the shower, along with those in North America and Asia.
The show is best viewed the further north the stargazer is.
Eagle-eyed space geeks can observe the shower with the naked eye, without the need for a telescope.
With all meteor showers however, clear skies is key so people are advised to check with the Met Office for the latest weather reports and find out the best times.
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.
Are there any tips to seeing the Draconid Meteor Shower?
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 as 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 Saturday's display. The Draconids tend to be fairly faint and will be competing with a bright moon, just after this week's full moon.
The best advice is to look towards the northern half of the night sky, away from the Moon.
If the Draconid has got you hooked, here's when the next meteor showers are due to fall this year.
Another meteor shower, the Orionids, will also take place later this month on October 21.
