The Draconid meteor shower is named after the constellation Draco, where they come from. In the past, these cosmic objects were also known as the Giacobinids. The parent body is the periodic comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner. The sparkling objects will be delighting our views this October.
The Draconids will be illuminating the night sky from October 6-8, and the peak is set for Wednesday.
How the Draconid meteor shower is born
The comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner orbits the Sun every six and a half years. Large amounts of ice and rock debris are falling from the comet to collide with Earth’s atmosphere when our planet intersects itself with the comet’s path. That’s how the meteor shower is resulting, and there’s enough material in the comet for a lot of meteors, as the bigger cosmic object measures 1.24 miles for its diameter.
The Draconid meteor shower peaks at only five meteors per hour, but it can have some interesting exceptions. Once the meteor shower’s peak occurs at the same time when its parent comet is located the closest to the Sun, hundreds and thousands of meteors per hour will start dancing on the night sky.
Behold how YouTuber JOKER NEWS describes the cosmic event of the Draconid meteor shower:
The Draconid meteor shower is set to reach its peak on Wednesday evening.
It’s estimated that around five shooting stars should be visible overhead every hour; the event will be visible in UK skies.
Before taking a good look at the night sky, you should find yourself a dark place far from the bright lights of a city. Also, it’s a good idea to avoid using your phone before, as you can adjust your eyes to the night sky’s darkness as much as possible. NASA even says that the best way to admire a shooting star is with the naked eye.
