{"id":17845,"date":"2026-09-25T09:07:50","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T07:07:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/deep-space-astronomy.ch\/?p=17845"},"modified":"2026-09-25T09:15:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-25T07:15:00","slug":"draconides-9-octobre-2026-essaim-atypique-observer-tombee-nuit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/deep-space-astronomy.ch\/en\/draconides-9-octobre-2026-essaim-atypique-observer-tombee-nuit\/","title":{"rendered":"Draconids on October 9, 2026: An Unusual Meteor Shower to Watch as Night Falls"},"content":{"rendered":"

Most meteor showers require you to stay awake past midnight. The Draconids are the opposite: they can be seen as soon as night falls on the evening of October 8. And in 2026, the Moon will be virtually absent. Conditions will be nearly perfect.<\/p>\n

Where do the Draconids come from?<\/h2>\n

The Draconids originate from Comet 21P\/Giacobini-Zinner, which was discovered by Michel Giacobini in 1900 and rediscovered by Ernst Zinner in 1913. This comet orbits the Sun every 6.6 years, trailing dust particles behind it that are distributed along its orbit. When Earth passes through this dust stream, the grains enter the atmosphere at a speed of about 20 km\/s\u2014slow for a shooting star\u2014and burn up, creating what is known as a shooting star.<\/p>\n

The radiant of the meteor shower\u2014the point from which the meteors appear to originate\u2014is located in the constellation Draco (the Dragon). This is where the Draconids get their name.<\/p>\n

Why Is This an Atypical Swarm?<\/h2>\n

Most meteor showers reach their zenith in the sky after midnight or in the early morning. This is the case for the Orionids (late October), the Leonids (November), and the Geminids (December). To observe these meteor showers, it is generally recommended to go outside after midnight, when the radiant is high in the sky.<\/p>\n

The Draconids are the opposite. Their radiant in the constellation Draco is highest in the sky as soon as night falls, at dusk. This means you should observe them in the evening, not after midnight. Between 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., the radiant is already high in the sky, toward the northwest. After midnight, it has disappeared below the horizon.<\/p>\n

This is a huge advantage for enthusiasts: no need to stay up until 3 a.m. You just set up your chair, look up at the sky, and wait.<\/p>\n

Where to Look in the Sky<\/h2>\n

The radiant of the Draconids is located in the Dragon\u2019s head, the part of the constellation Draco that lies between Polaris and Vega (the brightest star in the Summer Triangle). To find this area:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Find the North Star\u2014the only star that doesn't move in the sky, around which everything else revolves. It is in the north, at an altitude equal to your latitude (about 47\u00b0 from Switzerland).<\/li>\n
  2. Head west, past the North Star, until you find Vega\u2014the bright star at the top of the Summer Triangle.<\/li>\n
  3. The Draconid meteor shower lies between the two, in the region of the Dragon's Head.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    But here's the important point: you must not not<\/strong> Look directly at the radiant. Meteors originate from the radiant, but they are visible across the entire sky. The best place to watch is about 45\u00b0 from the radiant\u2014that\u2019s where the meteor trails are longest. In practice, sit facing northwest and look toward the middle of the sky.<\/p>\n

    What to Expect<\/h2>\n

    In 2026, the ZHR (Zenithal Hourly Rate\u2014the number of meteors visible per hour when the radiant is at the zenith and the sky is perfectly dark) is estimated to be around 10. That\u2019s modest. By comparison, the Geminids in December have a ZHR of 120\u2013150.<\/p>\n

    But that figure of 10 is an average. The Draconids are known for their unpredictability. In 1933, 1946, 2011, and 2018, the meteor shower produced storms\u2014thousands of meteors per hour. These storms occur when Earth passes through a particularly dense filament of the dust trail left behind by Comet Giacobini-Zinner during a recent close approach.<\/p>\n

    No storms are forecast for 2026. Models indicate that Earth will pass through a moderate region of the stream, with a ZHR of around 10. But as astronomers say: \u00abKeep an eye on the Dragon, just in case it wakes up.\u00bb<\/p>\n

    In practice, expect to see about 5\u201310 shooting stars per hour if you\u2019re under a truly dark sky (Bortle 1\u20134). In suburban areas (Bortle 5\u20136), expect 2\u20133 per hour instead. The Draconids are slow\u201420 km\/s\u2014which makes them easy to see and distinguish from sporadic meteors. They often appear as slow, lingering streaks, rather than quick flashes.<\/p>\n

    The equipment: your eyes<\/h2>\n

    To observe the Draconids, the equipment you need is simple: your eyes<\/strong>. No binoculars, no telescope, no instruments. Meteors are visible to the naked eye, and that is the only way to observe them effectively\u2014the field of view of a telescope or binoculars is far too narrow to capture a meteor shower.<\/p>\n

    The necessary materials are:<\/p>\n