Draconid Meteor Shower reaches its 2018 peak and here’s what you should expect
Meteor shower fans from all around the world must mark Monday evening (on the 8th of October) on their calendars, especially those that are living in the mid-Atlantic, northeast United States, or the Maritime Provinces from eastern Canada. That’s because that night will have Earth pass through the Draconid meteor shower, which is an irregular event full of surprises.
The Draconid meteor showers occur annually, each year on the 8th of October, as Earth makes its way through the stream of dust left behind by the periodic comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner (which has been dubbed Comet G-Z, for short). This event has gotten its name as a result of its meteor appearing to originate from the Draco, the Dragon constellation.
Those who live anywhere else across the remaining of North America will experience the peak of this meteor shower during the afternoon. Remember this because, by nightfall, you will observe only lingering stragglers of the marvelous display, and that’s only if you are lucky.
October’s most known meteor shower display is represented by the Orionids, which has its peak on the 21st of October and so far it has proven itself to be one of the most reliable meteor displays of the year. However, this year it seems that the wild card will be represented by the Draconids. Because of their Jekyll and Hyde personality, the Draconid meteors can be some of the most surprising ones out there.
Most years they don’t show off very much but this year might be different. As the Earth passes through Comet G-Z’s orbit shortly after the comet has gone by, just as it happened in 1933 and 1946, those that looked at the sky were dazzled by the celestial display. Since then, Draconids didn’t impress as much, but let’s just wait and see.
As our second lead editor, Anna C. Mackinno provides guidance on the stories Great Lakes Ledger reporters cover. She has been instrumental in making sure the content on the site is clear and accurate for our readers. If you see a particularly clever title, you can likely thank Anna. Anna received a BA and and MA from Fordham University.
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