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Don't miss the Draconid meteor shower, a celestial event that won't take all night
KSL News • • science
Key Points:
- The Draconid meteor shower will peak at 7 p.m. MDT Thursday, with meteors visible into early Friday morning depending on location, primarily best viewed from the Northern Hemisphere.
- The shower features slower-moving meteors, visible for one to two seconds, and is best seen just after nightfall due to the position of its radiant point in the constellation Draco.
- Originating from debris left by comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, the Draconids can occasionally produce meteor storms with hundreds or thousands of meteors per hour when Earth passes through concentrated comet debris.
- The comet's recent proximity to Earth in 2025 increases the possibility of an outburst this year, making the Draconids an unpredictable but potentially spectacular event.
- No special equipment is needed to view the shower, but optimal conditions include lying back with a wide sky view and minimizing artificial light exposure.
