Shooting stars and fireballs could create quite a show tonight and tomorrow night courtesy of two meteor showers.
The back-to-back meteor showers will give stargazers of all ages several chances to spot some shooting stars right from their backyard.
DRACONID METEOR SHOWER
When: Tuesday, Oct. 8 into Wednesday, Oct. 9
Look out for the Draconid meteor shower in the early evening or nightfall. This won’t be one you have to stay up past midnight to see.
The Draconids are considered a minor meteor shower with only around 10 meteors per hour but, on occasion, can fill the sky with hundreds of meteors. Draconids are notorious for being unpredictable, so there is a chance of a burst for an hour or two with much higher rates.
Unfortunately, the moon will be in the sky during this part of the night, so stargazers should look for meteors in areas of the sky away from the bright moon.
SOUTHERN TAURID METEOR SHOWER
When: Wednesday, Oct. 9 into Thursday, Oct 10
Immediately following the Draconids will be the Southern Taurids, the second meteor shower to peak in as many nights.
Similar to the Draconids, the Southern Taurids are a minor shower with fewer than 10 meteors per hour, but don’t let the slim numbers discourage you.
“The Taurids are rich in fireballs,” the American Meteor Society said on their website.
Fireballs are meteors that appear incredibly bright as they streak through the sky. They can be so bright that they can cast shadows on the ground for several seconds.
