How to see the Draconid meteor shower light up UK skies this week.
The Draconid meteor shower could see shooting stars blaze across the UK's skies this week, although the full moon might get in the way.
The annual Draconid meteor shower peaks this year on 8 October, and is one of two meteor showers in October, followed by the Orionid shower later in the month.
The Draconids produced some of the biggest displays of meteors in the 20th century in 1933 and 1946, and a whopping 600 meteors per hour spotted in 2011, although the display has been quieter in recent years.
The number of meteors depends on which part of comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner’s ‘tail’ Earth intersects with, with our planet passing close to the orbit of the comet each October.
Space experts at EarthSky have suggested that since the comet passed its closest point to the sun (perihelion) in March this year, there’s a slight possibility of a good display this month as the comet is relatively close to Earth.
NASA said: "The Draconid meteor shower comes from debris trailing the comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner burning up in Earth's atmosphere … the shower can produce up to 10 meteors per hour."
What is the best time to see it?
This year’s Draconid meteor shower is from Monday 6 October to Friday 10 October, but the peak time will be Wednesday 8 October.
Unlike most meteor showers, the best time to see the Draconids is the early evening, just after sunset, rather than the early hours of the morning. AOL.
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