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4mo ago

Bright Moon Dulls Draconids’ Peak as Attention Shifts to Orionids

Moonlight likely muted the brief show, making the Orionids later this month the better viewing opportunity.

A fisherman watches a meteor during the Draconid meteor shower over Howick rocks in Northumberland. Picture date: Sunday October 10, 2021. (Photo by Owen Humphreys/PA Images via Getty Images)
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Overview

  • The Draconid meteor shower ran Oct. 6–10 and peaked Oct. 8, with the narrow maximum occurring around 19:00 UTC (3 p.m. ET).
  • Debris from comet 21P/Giacobini‑Zinner powered the display, and the comet’s March perihelion raised the potential for enhanced activity this year.
  • Viewing was challenged by a near‑full supermoon that washed out fainter meteors, despite the shower’s occasional ability to produce sudden outbursts.
  • Best prospects traditionally come just after dusk in the Northern Hemisphere, facing the northern sky near Draco, from dark locations with eyes adapted for 20–30 minutes.
  • The more reliable Orionids—fed by Halley’s Comet—are expected to peak Oct. 21–22 with roughly 10–20 meteors per hour under much darker, moonless skies.