Stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere are in for a treat Monday and Tuesday as the Draconid meteor shower lights up the skies in its annual celestial light show.
The 2013 Draconid meteor shower is expected to be most visible during the evenings of Oct. 7 and Oct. 8 unlike many meteor showers that are best seen in the early dawn hours. This is because the Draconid meteors originate from the Draco (Latin for "Dragon) constellation located in northern hemisphere of our sky and the constellation's radiant point is highest in the sky during nightfall. The radiant point is the point in the sky from where the meteors all seem to originate from.
Interested parties in the Southern Hemisphere may have a chance to see the meteor shower, but don't bet on it, this is one best tackled by citizens in places like the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia.
The usual stargazing rules apply: try and escape as much light as possible and bring something warm to bundle up in. The 2013 Draconid meteor shower isn't expected to bring in as many fireworks as previous ones, with most experts estimating there will only be a handful every hour. Past Draconid showers have been known to rain down hundreds, even thousands, of fiery tails across the sky.
The Draconids are the result of comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, whose icy debris drop into the Earth's atmosphere and burn up when the Earth's orbit passes the comet's orbit. Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner was discovered in 1900 by the French astronomer Michel Giacobini.
Latinos Post would love to see any photographs you snap of the meteor shower, so be sure to send them and let us know how your Draconid viewing experience in the comments section below.
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