Meteor shower
Draconids
Slow, evening meteors that can occasionally storm.
Next peak Thursday, October 8, 2026
T-00:00:00:00DHMS
Peak rate
~10 meteors/hr at peak
Active
6 Oct – 10 Oct
Radiant
Draco
Speed
20 km/s
Parent body
Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner
Moon at peak
Peak-night moon only 5% lit — dark skies favour the shower
About the Draconids
The Draconids are unusual on two counts: their meteors are among the slowest of any shower at just 20 km/s, and they're best seen in the early evening rather than before dawn. Most years deliver only a handful per hour — but the Draconids are famous for rare, dramatic outbursts that have topped a thousand meteors an hour.
The radiant lies in the head of Draco, the dragon, high in northern skies.
How to watch
- Unlike most showers, look in the evening, when the radiant is highest.
- A northern-latitude site is best — the radiant barely rises from the south.