Enjoy the 70 Degree Night by Watching the Meteor Shower

It’s been a good year for sky-watchers, and the Draconid meteor show this week is only making it better.

The Draconids, which averaged 600 meteors per hour in 2011, will peak on October 8 and 9. The Orionid meteor shower will end an unforgettable few weeks for stunning sky-gazing events at its October 21-22 peak.

When?

The Draconid meteor shower will peak Thursday and Friday, October 8 and 9. 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, which will make for good viewing conditions.

Where can I watch the shower?

The UT Astronomy Department hosts three weekly night viewings for the public. On Wednesday nights, viewings are held at R.L.M. Hall, and on Fridays and Saturdays, viewings are held at Painter Hall. For more information about special event viewings join theUT Astronomy Group.

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.