Get ready for a modest midweek meteor shower. That's what the Draconids promise to deliver.

Though meteors will continue to streak across the night sky through Thursday, Tuesday night likely offers the best chance to see at least a handful of shooting stars -- that is if the weather cooperates.

And while the Draconids aren't typically dramatic, it's possible they could surprise some patient sky gazers.

"Meteor showers are notorious for defying the most carefully crafted forecasts," according to EarthSky. "So you never know for sure what's up in a meteor shower unless you look."

Giving the Draconids a chance won't cost you much sleep; the best viewing will be in the early evening, during the few hours after dusk -- no need to stay up past midnight.

The Draconid meteor shower is caused by the intersection of Earth's orbit with the trail of debris left by the comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner. When the bits of ice and dust left behind by the comet collide with Earth's atmosphere, they burn up, creating bright streaks across the night sky.

The best viewing will be in the Northern Hemisphere. The shooting stars will appear to emanate from the Draco constellation, located above the Big Dipper and Polaris.

Because the moon is almost full, only the brightest meteors are likely to be visible to the naked eye. While this year's Draconid shower may be less-than-stellar, the meteor shower occasionally produces banner shows -- like in 2011 and 2018.

"Most years, we pass through gaps between filaments, maybe just grazing one or two as we go by," Bill Cooke, who heads NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office at the Marshall Spaceflight Center in Huntsville, Ala., said in a news release. "Occasionally, though, we hit one nearly head on -- and the fireworks begin."

Related Links
Asteroid and Comet Mission News, Science and Technology

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

Aquariids peak on Monday starts month of meteor showers
Washington (UPI) Jul 29, 2019
With the peak of the Delta Aquariids expected Monday night and early Tuesday, a month of shows in the night sky is just getting started. The Delta Aquariids will begin to peak on Monday night - the most visible period of time will be early Tuesday morning, between 2 a.m. and 3 a.m. - during which 20 meteors per hour will appear. The Aquariids, which start a month of visible meteor showers that continues with the Perseids in early August, will start from constellation Aquarius and shoul ... read more