Astronomers recalled the approach of the annual Draconid meteor shower, which will peak on October 8 and 9, 2024. This was reported by portal Live Science.
Although the Draconids are not the most powerful meteor shower of the year, they are easy to watch throughout the night. This is because the bright spot of the starfall – the constellation Draco – is located next to the North Star. The dragon can be seen anytime in the Northern Hemisphere when the sky is clear.
The constellation Draco can be found above the dipper of the Ursa Major and is known for its zigzag “tail”.
The Draconids are a variable meteor shower that typically produces about 10 meteors per hour during its peak.
Due to the waxing phase of the Moon, the evening of October 8 is expected to be suitable for stargazing. This means that the sky will not be illuminated by large amounts of moonlight.
Astronomers noted that the Draconids are not directly associated with the constellation Draco and were formed when Earth passed through a cloud of rocky debris from comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, which passes our planet’s orbit every 6.5 years.
Previously, the inhabitants of the Earth at the end of September 2024 it could be Watch comet C/2023 A3 approach our Earth for the first time in 80 thousand years.