Home Science Space October 7-8, 2012 to showcase Draconid meteor shower
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The Draconid meteor shower is set to encounter Earth, at its maximum, on the evening of October 7 and the morning of October 8, 2012. Though only a modest display is expected in 2012, the Draconids are well-kown to being unpredictable. Thus, you will not know if you'll get a good show unless you're out there looking up in the night sky.

The meteors from Draconid originate from debris sent out from the comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner (Comet Giacobini–Zinner). The comet was discovered by Frenchman Michel Giacobini, who observed the comet in the constellation Aquarius on December 20, 1900.

The best place to view the Draconids is in the northern hemisphere. Thus, northern-hemisphere sky watchers should be alert to look northward toward the constellation Draco the Dragon, close to the North Star.

That is where the radiant point for the meteors is located -- or the point in the sky, from which (to an observer on Earth) meteors appear to originate.

In 2011, hundreds of meteors were seen at its peak. In fact, 600 or so meteors were seen in some places in Europe.

However, that many of meteor sightings in one hour is not expected in 2012. However, you just never know because the Draconid meteors are very unpredictable. So, as with any meteor shower, you take your chances at seeing many of them, or only a few.

The (above) YouTube video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0ukHuhQZ_Q) is entited Draconid meteors 2011, CAMS footage (SETI / NASA). Its caption states, "Draconids filmed from Northern Germany by two CAMS systems of Dr Peter Jenniskens (SETI/NASA-Ames) in cooperation with the Dutch Meteor Society (DMS) situated 91 km apart in Lebatz and Kühlungsborn. At Kühlungsborn, the Leibniz-Institut für Atmosphärenphysik (IAP) operated a powerful LiDAR trying to detect meteor trails: the LiDAR beams are visible in the second half of the footage. The footage compresses about an hour of filming into two minutes of video. Camera operators: Kühlungsborn, Dr Peter Jenniskens (SETI/NASA-Ames); Lebatz, Carl Johannink and Dr Marco Langbroek (DMS). LiDAR operator IAP Kühlungsborn: Dr Michael Gerding. See also draconids.seti.org."

The above image is from a previous year's sighting.

According to the EarthSky.org article Draconid meteor shower will peak October 7-8, 2012, "The good news is that this shower’s radiant point is circumpolar for much of the Northern Hemisphere – so it’s above the horizon, or nearly so, all night, especially as you get farther north on Earth’s globe."

And, "In fact, the radiant point stands highest in the sky as darkness falls. Yippee! You don’t have to wait for the usual midnight to dawn time slot for this shower."

Further,"But you do have to watch for the moon, which is at the last quarter phase that night, rising around midnight. So watch for the Draconids all evening on October 7. Then after moonrise, if you really want to, go get some sleep. Remember, October 8 should produce some meteors, too."

For a sky map of the Dragonid meteor shower, and further information, please go to the Space.com article "Draconid Meteor Shower May Be a Storm Saturday, But Will Anyone See?"

 

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