Draconid Meteor Shower 2018 Peaks Monday! Here's What to Expect.

[Judi Lynn]

By Joe Rao, Space.com Skywatching Columnist | October 6, 2018 09:21am ET

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If you're a meteor shower fan, mark Monday evening (Oct. 8) on your calendar, particularly if you live in the mid-Atlantic or northeast United States, as well as the Maritime provinces of eastern Canada. On that night, the Earth will pass through the irregular and surprised-filled Draconid meteor stream.

The annual Draconid meteor shower occurs every year around Oct. 8 when the Earth passes through a stream of dust from the periodic comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, which from here on we’ll refer to as Comet G-Z. so named because the meteors appear to emanate from the constellation of Draco, the Dragon.

If you live anywhere else across the rest of North America, the predicted peak of this meteor shower will occur during the afternoon, so by nightfall you’ll be looking for any possible lingering stragglers of the display – if there are any to be seen at all. [Draconid Meteor Shower 2018 Guide: When and How to See It]

The best known meteor display in October is the Orionid meter shower, which peaks around Oct. 21 and is one of the most reliable of the annual displays. This year, however, the Draconid shower is the wild card. Typically, little or nothing in terms of Draconid meteors is seen most years, but the Draconids have a Jekyll-and-Hyde personality.

More:
https://www.space.com/42052-draconid-meteor-shower-2018-peaks-oct8.html

[flying_wahini]

1. Thanks for that! I am a fan of meteor showers!