From Thursday 7 to Sunday 10 October the annual Draconids meteor shower will be visible from the Comunidad Valenciana. Daniel Hazelhoff reports…
The Comunidad Valenciana will see the yearly autumn meteor shower from 7 until 10th of October. The Draconids shower is named after the Draco constellation, which is a large yet barely visible constellation due to the small amount of light it emits. The shower is also known as Giacobinids.
The showers appear to originate from the Draco constellation and are best viewed from the northern hemisphere, and in the evening as opposed to before dawn. Viewing the Draconids meteor shower is best done from a lying down position, and in areas of low light contamination so small towns and countrysides will have the best show. The Draconids shower is most likely to peak on 8 October.
The Draconids shower’s radiant point is from the head of Draco the Dragon constellation, near the stars Eltanin and Rastaban. Draco’s shower is peculiar, in the sense that it’s best viewed in the early evening as opposed to after midnight when the sky is darkest. This is because as the night passes Draconids’ radiant point sinks lower into the sky, reducing visibility until obstructed by the Earth itself.
This year Draconids pass us by while the moon is in its thin waxing crescent phase, giving off little light, which helps improve the shower’s visibility. Truly an optimal circumstance for this year’s meteor shower.
The Draconids aren’t usually a very visually intense shower, unless their parent comet, 21P/Giaboini-Zinner is present. On these rare occasions, the shower’s peak has rained down hundreds of meteors in an hour. The Draconids shower is debris from the 21P/Giaboini-Zinner comet, colliding with Earth’s upper atmosphere, burning up in the process.