Draconid Meteor Shower 2015 Peak: Everything Dublin Residents Need To Know

By MARC TORRENCE (Patch National Staff)

The Draconid meteor shower this week will mark another special event for sky-watchers, who have been spoiled lately with plenty of reasons to look skyward. The forecast for the East Bay predicts a partly cloudy sky for Thursday and Friday.

The supermoon lunar eclipse September 27 made for some spectacular views. The Draconids, which averaged 600 meteors per hour in 2011, will peak this week, October 8 and 9, and the Orionid meteor shower will cap an exciting few weeks for out-of-this-world events with its October 21-22 peak.

But first, the Draconids. Here’s what you need to know to see the show:

When?

The Draconid meteor shower will peak Thursday and Friday, October 8 and 9, according to Earthsky.org. Unlike most meteor showers, the Draconids are best seen in the early evening, rather than late at night, Earthsky says.

The moon will be only a small crescent that night, making for good viewing conditions.

Where?

The Draconids appear to originate from Draco the Dragon, a constellation in the northern sky that looks like — well, a dragon.

The dragon’s “tail” winds around the little dipper.

Why?

A meteor shower happens when the Earth passes through a comet’s orbit. The debris left behind by the comet hits the Earth’s atmosphere, and the particles burn up upon entry, creating a streaking pattern in the sky.

How?

Viewing a meteor shower is simple:

• Find a dark area with little or no surrounding lights.
• Get situated in a chair or on a blanket, and look up toward Draco and the Little Dipper.
• Try to keep your eyes focused on the dark sky for a few minutes. Looking at your phone or other bright objects will cause your eyes to readjust, and the meteors will be harder to see.
• This year, the shower is only expected to produce a few meteors per hour, according to EarthSky, so keep your eyes peeled.

Other interesting facts about the Draconids:

• The 2011 Draconids produced a particularly spectacular show. Meteor rates reached 600 per hour, according to NASA.
• That year, the International Space Station had to take extra precaution as it entered the path of the meteors. “Most years, we pass through gaps between filaments, maybe just grazing one or two as we go by,” Sam Cook, the head of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office said. “Occasionally, though, we hit one nearly head on – and the fireworks begin.”
• The comet the Draconids come from is called “21P/Giacobini-Zinner” by scientists. It’s named after Michel Giacobini, who discovered the comet in 1900, according to EarthSky, and Ernst Zinner, who saw the comet in 1913.
• Sometimes the shower is known as the Giacobinids, in honor the comet’s discovery.

What’s next?

If you miss Draconids, don’t worry.

The Orionid meteor shower will peak the evenings of October 21 and 22. The Orionids come from Halley’s Comet and “are known for being bright and quick,” according to NASA.

Related:

• Photo of the Week: Incredible Shot of Sunday’s Lunar Eclipse

Image: Fred Bruenjes/NASA