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CHARLOTTE, NC – The Draconid meteor shower is the sleepiest of the year, usually offering only a handful of shooting stars per hour. But that's what the skygazers are calling for and encouraging, perhaps hoping to wake Draco the Dragon for a dazzling show. It's rare – and it's unlikely to happen at the 2018 summit on October 7 and 8, 201 – but a new moon on the 9th guarantees that the North Carolina skies will be dark.
It all depends on the weather, of course. Peak activity for the Draconides is still in several days, but forecasts for the greater Charlotte metro area predict cloudy conditions on Sunday night with 30 percent chance of rain, according to the National Weather Service. Cloudy weather is expected to continue from October 8 to 9.
The draconids are the first of two meteor showers this month. The Orionids, which produce a more reliable show of shooting stars, will culminate later in the month. They could produce a surprise this year – more on this in a bit.
Draconids are so slow – crawling along, compared to faster fireballs, at 40,000 miles to the hour – and many go out before reaching the Earth's atmosphere. In typical years, draconid meteor shower produces about five shooting stars per hour, but when Draco spits fire – as was the case in 1946, observers from the western United States reported seeing thousands of fireballs per hour. In 2011, the draconids produced a moderate explosion.
The draconids are weak and the casual observer might not notice them. Because they move so slowly, only the larger ones produce enough light to be seen.
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These explosions of draconids seem to occur only when the Earth just passes inside the comet's orbit 21P / Giacobini-Zinner, the shower's mother, shortly after the disappearance of the comet, according to Joe Rao, a SpaceWatching columnist for Space.com. This year, it happened on September 10, which, according to some experts, could help achieve at least high levels of meteors.
The peculiarity of this shower is that the meteors start flying just after sunset, unlike most showers, which are most active at dawn. They will continue flying until around midnight. Sometimes called Giacobinids, draconid meteor shower emanates from the fiery mouth of the northern constellation Draco the Dragon, which is highest in the sky at dusk. The meteors seem to emanate from Draco's fiery mouth.
Orionids meteor shower peak
If the Draconids are disappointed, the Orionides will also be activated this month from August 16th to 30th, with maximum activity on October 20th and 21st.
The Orionid meteor shower occurs when the Earth crosses streams of debris the size of a pebble left behind by its parent, Halley's Comet. They are consumed when the atmosphere strikes the Earth and appear as shooting stars.
SEE ALSO: Meteor Shower Guide, Celestial Events, 2018
Some experts expect the Orionids to be above average this year and produce more than the typical 10 or 15 meteors. On the downside, a thorny, gibbous moon will create a glow that can erase everything but the brightest. You may be able to survive the moon, though.
Earthsky.org suggests keeping your eyes on the sky between 19:00 and 20 October between midnight and dawn, as the moonlight will decrease as the moon goes down – about four hours before sunrise Saturday, October 20, in northern latitudes in North America, but only three hours before sunrise on Sunday, October 21st. You may even see some of them on October 22nd.
And here's an extra treat – a fantastic view of Sirius, the brightest star of the night. Watch for it to the south in the sky of dawn and dawn.
Also this month, you will be able to contemplate four planets at dusk and after dark for most of the month, although Venus, which illuminates the western sky, fades over the months of October. Jupiter shines above the head and Mars and Saturn shine in the southern sky at dusk. Click on the name of a planet to find out more about its visibility this month: Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars and Mercury.
Original story of Beth Dalbey, Patch Staff
Photo via Shutterstock
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