The annual Draconid meteor shower is visible this year until 10 October in the northern hemisphere and will peak on the evening of 8 October.
The meteors, which are sometimes referred to as shooting stars, will appear as streaks of light in the evening sky.
Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through the debris of a comet or an asteroid. The debris, usually bits of rock or ice, hit the Earth’s atmosphere and burns up because of the friction, sending light streaks across the night sky.
The point in the sky from which the meteors appear to originate is known as the radiant and the quality of the display is measured by how many meteors are visible every hour – known as the zenithal hourly rate.
That rate varies year by year. In 2024 it could be a fairly unimpressive five, but the better news is that our skies will be reasonably dark with a first quarter moon which will set early on in the evening.
The Draconid meteors come from the debris of Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, with the radiant in the constellation of Draco (hence the name).
