The Draconid Meteor Shower Will Light Up the Sky This Week—Here's How to See It

From the Harvest Moon to a newly discovered green comet, October is shaping up to be prime time for skywatchers. This week brings another exciting celestial event—the Draconid meteor, which is currently active and lasts until October 10.

The shower is created by debris trailing the comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner that burns up in the Earth's atmosphere, according to NASA. The shower can produce up to 10 meteors per hour, but you can only catch that many under a dark sky with no moonlight. These meteors (or "shooting stars") appear to originate from the head of the constellation Draco the Dragon in the northern sky, per the agency.

On occasion, the comet has been known to produce a spectacular meteor shower, known as a meteor storm, with hundreds or even thousands of meteors per hour. However, EarthSky.org reports that it is unlikely one will happen this year.

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The Orionid Meteor Shower Peaks This Month—Here's How to See the Most Shooting Stars

The meteor shower is expected to peak on Wednesday, October 8. While you may be able to see some shooting stars, light from the full Harvest Moon, which peaked on Monday night, may disrupt your view.

If you want to try to catch the Draconid meteor shower, first check the weather and cloud coverage in your area to make sure conditions are good for viewing. If they are, head to a dark location free of light pollution and get comfortable lying on your back or sitting in a reclining chair. It will take your eyes about 30 minutes to adjust to the darkness.