The month of October brings with it some astronomical phenomena that promise to attract the attention of many people. For example, we recently reported on the passage of the ‘comet of the century’, a very rare event. However, it’s not the only event to note, as a meteor shower is taking place.
According to the Meteored website, which cites the Royal Museums Greenwich, the Draconid meteor shower is active between October 6 and 10. However, its peak of activity is precisely between October 8 and 9, with the night being the best time to contemplate yet another astronomical phenomenon, which is preparing to ‘invade’ the Northern Hemisphere sky.
According to the same source, the activity of the Draconids is much more modest when compared to other similar events such as the Perseids. This is because it usually only generates around 20 meteors per hour, at a speed of 20 km per second. The fact that it is slower makes it special.
Tips for watching the meteor shower
Watching astronomical phenomena always depends on the weather conditions. Even so, here are a few tips that can improve your observation:
- Avoid light pollution, which is why we recommend moving away from large urban centers
- Avoid cloudy nights
- Choose places with good altitude, such as mountains and hills
- Adapt your vision to the darkness
- Look in the opposite direction to the moon
“Cometa do século”: tudo o que precisas de saber sobre este fenómeno brilhante