The Draconid meteor shower might turn into a meteor storm. Here's when to watch
Meteor showers or shooting stars
The supermoons of 2023 might be over. But our night sky offers an abundance of marvellous astronomical events. This week, it's the Draconid meteor shower.
Unlike other meteor showers, the Draconids meteor shower is visible in the evening rather than in the early hours.
The meteor shower, occasionally called the Giacobinids, happens when Earth passes through the debris left behind by the comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, discovered by Michel Giacobini in 1900. The small comet is only 1.24 miles wide and orbits around the Sun once every 6.6 years.
Anna Gammon-Ross, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, told Metro UK that the Draconoid meteor shower gets its name from the constellation Draco (Latin for the dragon). "This is because, although meteors can be seen all over the sky, they all appear to emerge or radiate from a single point lying within this constellation," she added.
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Draconid meteor shower occurs when comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner's debris burns up in the Earth's atmosphere. According to Anna, this debris burns up around 50 miles above the ground, making it a non-dangerous event.
Meteor showers or shooting stars occur when particles as small as a grain of sand burn in the Earth's atmosphere. Any large debris that makes it through the fiery passage and lands on the Earth's surface is called a meteorite.
The Draconid meteor shower is not the busiest of the year. However, it is unique because it has been the cause of a meteor storm, during which an observer can witness over a thousand meteors.
How to watch the Draconoid meteor shower 2023?
The Draconid meteor shower 2023 will be visible from Friday, October 6, to Tuesday, October 10. The best time to watch the event would be around 8 pm on Sunday, October 8, in the northwest of the sky.
To increase your chances of spotting the meteor shower, find a dark area of clear sky and allow around 20 minutes to let your eyes adapt to the dark. Skywatchers who wish to look up for a long time can find a place to lie down.
Don't fret if you missed the Draconids meteor shower, as the Orionids are currently happening and will reach their peak on October 21 and 22. This shower is caused by debris from the well-known Halley's Comet.
(With inputs from agencies)
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