Overview
- The Draconids are active Oct. 6–10 and are expected to reach their maximum on the night of Oct. 8, around 1:00 UTC on Oct. 9, according to multiple forecasts.
- This shower is best seen soon after dusk because its radiant in the constellation Draco stands highest early in the evening rather than after midnight.
- Forecasters expect a modest display of roughly five to 10 meteors per hour at the peak, though the Draconids are known to vary sharply and have produced dramatic outbursts in past years.
- Observers do not need optics; find a dark site, let your eyes adapt for 15–30 minutes, scan wide areas of sky instead of staring at the radiant, and favor northern-hemisphere locations where Draco stays high.
- Local weather and light pollution will determine what you actually see, and skywatchers who miss this event have another chance with the Orionids, which peak on Oct. 21–22.