Particle.news

Download on the App Store

Draconids Peak Today With NASA Modeling a Brief Burst Up to 400 Meteors an Hour

Moonlight from a full supermoon is expected to dim most faint streaks for typical skywatchers.

Overview

  • The shower runs October 6–10 with the highest activity on October 8, and a NASA Meteoroid Environment Office analysis projects a short-lived spike near 15:46 UTC.
  • Other forecasts are lower, with popular guides suggesting rates from the tens up to roughly 150–400 per hour, meaning actual visible counts will vary widely.
  • The meteors are debris from comet 21P/Giacobini‑Zinner, with the radiant in the constellation Draco.
  • Viewing favors the Northern Hemisphere, with reduced intensity at lower latitudes such as much of Mexico and limited visibility farther south like Argentina.
  • Observers are advised to use dark sites, shield their view from the Moon, rely on naked-eye viewing, and allow time for dark adaptation, while Google marked the event with a meteor animation in search.