Eyes on the skies.
Tomorrow night is set to be an important one for star-gazers, as the Draconid meteor shower will be visible in Irish skies.
As BreakingNews reports, the shower, which is also known as the Giacobinids, will be at its most visible just after sunset tomorrow, 8 October. Having said that, we’re also set for a full moon tomorrow night, and its brightness may make it a little bit more difficult to see the shower.
This short-lived meteor shower will see a maximum rate of 10 meteors per hour. It will be visible to the naked-eye, though bear in mind that you will need to take time to allow your eyes to adjust.
The organisation EarthSky describes the Draconids as a “real oddity”.
“Its radiant point stands highest in the sky as darkness falls,” the website reads. “That’s why you’ll see more Draconids in the evening hours after midnight. But in 2022, the full moon or nearly full moon is in the way.”
If you happen to miss tomorrow night’s meteor shower, fret not, as another one will take place later this month. The Orinoids will be visible on 21 October. These guys will be more visible than tomorrow night’s shower as the sky won’t be quite as bright. This shower is caused by Earth passing through the dust and ice left over from Halley’s Comet. According to Space.com, the Orinoids have been know to display up to 80 meteors an hour, but more recently, astronomers have seen displays of 30 visible meteors each hour.
