The October Draconids, in the past also unofficially known as the Giacobinids, are a Northern hemisphere meteor shower whose parent body is the periodic comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner. They are named after the constellation Draco, where they seemingly come from. Almost all meteors which fall towards Earth ablate long before reaching its surface. The Draconids are best viewed after sunset in an area with a clear dark sky.
| Draconids (DRA) | |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /drəˈkoʊnɪdz/ |
| Parent body | 21P/Giacobini-Zinner[1] |
| Radiant | |
| Constellation | Draco (constellation) |
| Right ascension | 17.467h [1] |
| Declination | +54°[1] |
| Properties | |
| Occurs during | October 6 – October 10 |
| Date of peak | October 8 |
| Velocity | 20[2] km/s |
| Zenithal hourly rate | variable[1] |
| See also: List of meteor showers | |
The 1933[1][3][4] and 1946[1] Draconids had Zenithal Hourly Rates of thousands of meteors visible per hour, among the most impressive meteor storms of the 20th century. Rare outbursts in activity can occur when the Earth travels through a denser part of the cometary debris stream; for example, in 1998, rates suddenly spiked[5][6] but only increased modestly in 2005.[7] A Draconid meteor outburst occurred[8] as expected[9][10][11] on October 8, 2011, though a waxing gibbous Moon reduced the number of meteors observed visually. During the 2012 shower radar observations (which detect smaller and fainter meteors) detected up to 1000 meteors per hour. The 2012 outburst may have been caused by the narrow trail of dust and debris left behind by the parent comet in 1959.[12]
| Date | Stream | ZHR |
|---|---|---|
| 1933-Oct-09 | 1900 | 6000[1] |
| 1946-Oct-09 | 1900 | 3000[1] |
| 1952-Oct-09 | 174 (radar)[1] | |
| 1998-Oct-08 | 720[6] | |
| 2005-Oct-08 | 1946 | 150 (radar) / 40 (visual)[7] |
| 2011-Oct-08 | 1900[13] | 300[8] |
| 2012-Oct-08 | 1959 | 1000 (radar)[12] |
| 2018-Oct-08 | 1952 | 150[14] |
Observers in the UK and Northern Europe are ideally placed to see the peak of the Draconids. Unfortunately the peak occurs in the day time for North America. There will also be a bright Moon which may drown out many but the brightest meteors, but if predictions are correct, you will still see many. You may see Draconid meteors on the 7th and the 9th also, so it is worth going out and checking the skies.
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