The Draconid meteor shower will peak on Sunday (Oct. 9), providing an opportunity to observe fireballs that look to emanate from the Draco constellation's dragon. Unfortunately, this year's peak coincides with the full Hunter's Moon in October, which makes viewing the Draconids difficult. Nonetheless, the radiant point (the point from which the meteors appear to originate) should be at its highest in the sky immediately before dark, around 5:00 p.m. local time, suggesting that some of the meteor showers may be visible before the full moon rises.
According to EarthSk, under optimum dark-sky circumstances, you may be able to view up to ten Draconid meteors every hour. However, there have been years when hundreds of Draconids have been seen in a single hour, so even if conditions aren't optimum with the full moon, it may be worthwhile to attempt to view some of the dragon's fireballs. The Draconids are also known as the Giacobinids because they represent the remains of the tiny periodic comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, which was discovered in 1900. The comet has a 6.6-year orbit and recently approached Earth in 2018, coming closer than it had in 72 years. When the International Cometary Explorer, or ICE, spotted 21P/Giacobini-Zinner in 1985, it became the first spacecraft to sail right through the comet's tail.
According to the UK Meteor Network, the Draconids have been somewhat quiet in recent years, but they produced some of the most magnificent displays of the twentieth century between 1933 and 1946 when hundreds of meteors per hour were witnessed. Find a dark area and recline or lie back to have a wide view of the sky to witness the Draconids or any other meteor shower. It will take around 30 minutes for your eyes to acclimate to the darkness. If you want to know how to shoot the Draconids or any other meteor shower, check out our how to photograph meteors and meteor showers guide, and if you require imaging equipment, check out our top cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography.