kygazers are set to catch a glimpse of celestial fireworks on Saturday evening because the Earth passes by way of a cloud of cometary mud.
The Draconid meteor bathe, also referred to as the Giacobinids, will peak on October 8 within the afternoon however one of the best time to see it is going to be within the night, simply after sundown.
Named after the constellation of Draco the dragon, the Draconids happen yearly and are one of many two meteor showers to gentle up the skies in October.
The streaks spawn from the comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, which orbits across the solar for six-and-a-half years.
Tania de Gross sales Marques, an astronomer on the Royal Observatory Greenwich, informed the PA information company: “The Draconids are a short-lived meteor bathe that’s lively from 6-10 October and is predicted to peak at round 2pm UK time with a most price of 10 meteors per hour.
“Draco can be at its highest level within the sky after sundown on the eighth, within the path of North, nevertheless, the total moon will even be up, brightening up the sky and making it onerous to identify fainter meteors.”
The meteor bathe can be seen with the bare eye, however skygazers might want to let their eyes alter to the darkness.
Ms de Gross sales Marques informed PA: “Like with every other skywatching exercise, be sure to have an unobstructed view of the sky, as distant from sources of sunshine as doable.
“Keep in mind to decorate warmly now that the evenings are colder and wait about 15-20 minutes in your eyes to regulate to the darkish earlier than looking for meteors.”
The Draconids will stay seen till October 10.
A second meteor bathe, the Orionids, will even happen later this month, peaking on October 21.
