(ORDO NEWS) — Starting on October 6, Draconids, a meteor shower, poured down on Earth. But in the Northern Hemisphere, the best time to see this phenomenon is on Saturday, October 8, 2022.
By the weekend, observers will be able to track the fall of up to 10 stars per hour. Then the rain will subside, but it can still be seen until Monday.
To get the best view, experts advise finding a location with clear skies and away from sources of light pollution such as big cities.
Draconids are best seen in the evening after dark, according to representatives of the Royal Museums Greenwich (UK).
Unfortunately, this year’s full moon falls around the same time, so viewing conditions aren’t the most ideal.
“The moonlight will certainly make the sky less dark, which is generally not ideal for stargazing.
But the meteorites are still bright enough to be easily seen, despite the glow of the Earth’s satellite,” said Jake Foster, of the Department of Astronomy at the Royal Museums Greenwich.
Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes through a cloud of cometary debris.
The Draconid stream originates from the debris of comet 21 P/Giacobini-Zinner, a small object with a diameter of 2 kilometers. It ejects its debris every 6.6 years as it orbits the solar system.
The Draconids get their name from the constellation Draco, which is their radiant point – the visual source of the flow.
A long and winding constellation can be seen in the northern sky, above the Big Dipper and the North Star.
The point from where the shower seems to come from almost coincides with the head of the constellation Draco.
When meteorites made of ice and dust enter the Earth’s atmosphere, they burn up, putting on a light show for spectators.
The beautiful streaks seen in the night sky may actually be caused by cosmic particles the size of a grain of sand. If the particle is larger than a grape, it will create a fireball and be accompanied by a persistent glow.
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