October 7, 2016, the Draconids
The radiant point for the Draconid meteor shower almost coincides with
the head of the constellation Draco the Dragon in the northern sky.
That’s why the Draconids are best viewed from the Northern Hemisphere.
The Draconid shower is a real oddity, in that the radiant point stands
highest in the sky as darkness falls. That means that, unlike many
meteor showers, more Draconids are likely to fly in the evening hours
than in the morning hours after midnight. This shower is usually a
sleeper, producing only a handful of languid meteors per hour in most
years. But watch out if the Dragon awakes! In rare instances, fiery
Draco has been known to spew forth many hundreds of meteors in a single
hour. In 2016, the waxing crescent moon may somewhat intrude on
this year’s Draconid shower. Try watching at nightfall and early
evening on October 7.
The Wealden Astronomical Society will also be on hand with their
telescopes on the lawn. (Viewing is
subject to weather permitting.)
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