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Draconids Meteor Shower peaks this week - when to see shooting stars from the UK




If you’re a fan of stargazing, make sure you book Thursday night off in your diary.


That night, the Draconids Meteor Shower will peak, providing you with the perfect opportunity to see shooting stars from the UK.


The Draconids Meteor Shower will take place from October 2-16, although the official peak will be on October 8.


Royal Museums Greenwich advised: “While most other meteor showers are best seen in the early hours, the Draconids are best seen in the evening, after nightfall.”


The Draconid meteors are caused when bits of debris from comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner enter the Earth’s atmosphere.


NASA explained: “The comet has a 6½-year-long orbit that periodically carries it near Jupiter. Ordinarily, celestial dynamicists would expect the planet’s powerful gravity to scatter anything in its vicinity into varying and unpredictable orbits.





A meteor shower

“But they believe that a stream of particles, ejected in 1900, is still largely intact.


“The meteors appear to travel from a point near the head of Draco the Dragon, a constellation visible all year for most people with a view of the northern sky.”


For your best chance of seeing the meteor shower from home, make sure you turn of all your lights.


Speaking to Mirror Online, Abigail Beall, author of The Art of Urban Astronomy, advised: “If you haven’t got a good view from your garden you could look out of a window, especially if it’s high up, or even a roof terrace if you’re lucky enough to have one.





Stargazing

“But meteors are bright so light pollution shouldn’t stop you – the main thing is having patience.”


And with temperatures across the UK continuing to drop, make sure you wrap up warm.


Ms Beall added: “Get a hot water bottle, a cup of tea or a bottle of wine and get comfy.


“Use a blanket to lie on the ground or sit in a reclined chair, because your neck might be sore if you’re just standing and trying to stare at the sky.”









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