Draconid meteor shower 2017

The Draconid meteor shower will hit its peak Saturday and Sunday, October AP Photo.

At Camera Obscura we have been viewing the city of Edinburgh and its skies since Since we opened as a tourist attraction we have seen many incredible things like sun shine in Scotland, solar events and even the odd eclipse. We were spoiled last month with beautiful views of the Northern Lights from Calton Hill in Edinburgh. This is why we are so excited to tilt our head to the skies during October to hopefully catch a glimpse of both the Draconid and the Orionid Meteor showers. The Draconid meteor shower, also known as the Giacobinids , is the first of the 2 meteor showers to grace the skies in October. This meteor shower is usually known as a sleeper with very few meteors, but watch out because the dragon might wake up and many shooting stars may race across the sky.

Draconid meteor shower 2017

The Draconid meteor shower is set to hit its peak this weekend, offering stargazers the opportunity to see dozens of shooting stars blazing across the sky. This stunning celestial display, which is also known as the Giacobinids, takes place every year and is one of the two meteor showers to light up the skies in October. Over the weekend, the Earth will pass through a swarm of debris left in the comet's wake, leading to meteors which appear as bright shooting stars when they enter the atmosphere and burn up. According to the Royal Observatory astronomer Affelia Wibisono, the shower is expected to peak on Sunday. She added: "The best time to see them is in the early evening on that day, but they are visible all through the night, weather depending of course. The meteor shower is most likely to be visible in the direction of the constellation of Draco, the Dragon, in the northern sky, just after nightfall. However, Ms Wibisono said moonlight from the waning gibbous moon - a phase where the Earth's natural satellite is partially illuminated by direct sunlight - might make it harder to spot the fainter meteors. She said: "The best thing to do is to turn your back to the moon to minimise the amount of light pollution. And of course, get away from the city lights. A second meteor shower, the Orionids, will also take place later this month, peaking on October UK Edition. US Edition.

The shower isn't expected to be spectacular this week, probably a handful of meteors per hour. Should you happen to capture a photo of anything spectacular in the sky, don't forget to share it with me on Twitter EricCMack.

The Draconids are one of the most notable annual meteor showers, in some years producing several thousand meteors per hour like most meteor showers the number of Draconids varies from year to year. The shower is expected to peak on Saturday 7-Sunday 8 October , with best viewing in the evenings on these dates this will b the same wherever you are on Earth , though visibility will be hampered somewhat by a bright Moon, with peak meteor activity coming directly after the Full Moon on Friday 6 October. The Draconids take their name from the constellation of Draconis, with the meteors appearing to radiate from the mouth of the Dragon, between the stars Eltanin and Rastaban. Since this constellation is very high in the northern sky, the Draconids are an almost exclusively Northern Hemisphere phenomenon, which sightings from south of the equator being quite rare. The radiant point of the Draconid Meteor Shower. Planetary Society, India. The dust particles strike the atmosphere at speeds of over km per hour, burning up in the upper atmosphere and producing a light show in the process.

According to space website Earthsky. The meteors come from the direction of Draco the dragon in the northern sky, which is the constellation which they took their name. This weekend there is a reasonable chance of Earth passing through a swarm of debris left in the comet's wake. We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding.

Draconid meteor shower 2017

Guides to the night sky. The Draconid meteor shower will be active from 6 October to 10 October, producing its peak rate of meteors around 8 October. Over this period, there will be a chance of seeing Draconid meteors whenever the shower's radiant point — in the constellation Draco — is above the horizon, with the number of visible meteors increasing the higher the radiant point is in the sky.

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As meteors slam into our atmosphere they are superheated and vaporized, producing the brilliant colors we see in the night sky. US Edition. It compensates in part for that by coming early in the evening rather than after midnight, unlike many of the showier showers. The Draconids come from the debris trail left in our cosmic neighborhood by the comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner. Newer Post Older Post Home. Since this constellation is very high in the northern sky, the Draconids are an almost exclusively Northern Hemisphere phenomenon, which sightings from south of the equator being quite rare. Science Becky Pemberton. So head outside as soon as the sky gets dark on October 8, for your best chance to spot scores of shooting stars. You can see the shower with the naked eye so you do not need any specialised equipment, such as a telescope or binoculars. In order to get a clear view of the meteor shower, go to a dark rural area away from light pollution. With meteor showers you must be prepared to wait, so star gazers are advised to bring something to sit or lie down on. UK Edition. Stargazers across the UK are well-placed to see the shower, along with those in North America and Asia.

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Space Meteors. Perseids meteor shower Date, time, when and where to watch Perseid meteor shower LIVE stream — Watch the Perseids online Perseid meteor shower You can watch the stunning Perseids here. Draconid meteors and a comet breathe fire into the sky. My Account. Would you like to receive news notifications from Daily Express? Over in America, Sunset is due at 6. Sign in. Occasionally, a particularly bright meteor may fall, which could potentially be visible even on a moonlit night. Instead, just head outside from anywhere that's as dark as possible, let your eyes adjust then just lay back and look straight up at the night sky. Up to a thousand shooting stars an hour could be on display during the peak of the shower expected on Sunday October 8. We were spoiled last month with beautiful views of the Northern Lights from Calton Hill in Edinburgh.