On the night of 8 October, Earth passes through a meteor shower radiating from the constellation Draco, an event that stargazers await with great anticipation.
The Draconid Meteor Shower sometimes displays a peak rate of shooting stars of just a few per hour but, every few years, it exceeds all other meteor showers for its dazzling display. The problem is that it is impossible to tell in advance how spectacular the display will be.
In 2011, the Draconids achieved a rate of about 600 per hour; and in 1933, topped out at 6,000 per hour. Would you want to miss a repeat of that?
There are reasons to be hopeful for a good show this year as the Draconid shower is expected to peak around midnight tonight (so, at a reasonably civilised hour) and the waning crescent moon means that lunar illumination will be not be too bright to obscure the show.
To find the constellation of Draco, the great serpent, its body snakes like the letter ‘S’ only backwards, with the tip and lowest section of its tail sitting between the Big Dipper and the Little Dipper. But the main thing is to find yourself a spot away from artificial light and give your eyes 10 minutes to acclimatise, and then keep your fingers crossed that 2024's Draconid shower is one that you are glad not to have missed.