We’ve had an awesome celestial shot this summer with a partial sun eclipse, a moon eclipse, the Perseids, the bright red Mars, and many other surprises. But autumn and winter will also be spectacular.
We’ll see the Draconid, Orionid, Taurid, Leonid, and Geminid meteor showers starting with October and lasting until mid-December.
The first one is the Draconid Meteor Shower, which will happen after the Harvest Moon, starting on October 8. Unlike the Perseids, this one shows about 10 meteors per hour.
Next, the Orionid Meteor Shower on 21-22 October, when streams of ice, rock and dust will be seen as they whizz past our planet. They once belonged to Halley’s Comet. You’ll see about 20 meteors per hour.
Between 5-6 and 12-13 November, there will be the Taurid Meteor Showers, which originate from two objects: an asteroid and a comet – both creating two showers that overlap. Unfortunately, the event will only produce 5-10 meteor per hour, but with a new moon, it will surely offer a good viewing condition.
Almost a week later, the Leonid Meteor Shower will appear on 17-18 November and produce almost 15 meteors per hour. The shower will come with bits of dust the size of gravel which will heat Earth’s atmosphere and produce bright meteors.
However, the best meteor shower will be the Geminid Meteor Shower, which will be visible from 13-14 December and produce quite a show: 120 meteors per hour! Another great thing is that the crescent moon will also help you spot even more bright streaks.
How to Watch the Meteor Showers
Make sure you’re in a very dark place, like a provincial park, or in the countryside to spot as many meteors as possible. After 30-45 minutes, your eyes should adapt to the darkness and you’ll surely catch a few meteors from one of the previously mentioned events.
Lay down or sit on something cozy and take in as much sky as you can. The best hours to watch the show is before dawn, so get some warm clothes and a hot coffee.
Doris’s passion for writing started to take shape in college where she was editor-in-chief of the college newspaper. Even though she ended up working in IT for more than 7 years, she’s now back to what he always enjoyed doing. With a true passion for technology, Doris mostly covers tech-related topics.