Tonight Vietnamese people will welcome an 'unusual' meteor shower: The sky has two 'showers of light'

According to the Hanoi Astronomical Society (HAS), the Draconids is a minor meteor shower with a rate of only about 10 meteors per hour. It is produced by dust particles left behind by comet 21P Giacobini-Zinner, first discovered in 1900.

Meteor showers are always an interesting phenomenon for astronomy lovers.

The Draconids is an “unusual” meteor shower in that it is best seen in the early evening rather than early morning like most other meteor showers. The shower runs annually from tonight, October 6 to October 10.

The crescent moon will ensure the early evening sky is primed for a good show. If you’re patient, you can still catch a few good ones. The best viewing will be in the early evening from a location away from city lights. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Draco, but can appear anywhere in the sky.

When is the peak?

Timeanddate.com said that in Vietnam, specifically Ho Chi Minh City, this meteor shower will peak on October 8-9, with the number of meteors possibly being 5 per hour.

The Draconids, sometimes called the Giacobinids, is one of two meteor showers that occur annually in the skies during October. The other is the Orionids, which typically peak around October 21.

The Draconids get their name from the constellation Draco and are produced when the Earth passes through dust debris left behind by comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, which takes about 6.6 years to make a single orbit around the sun.

The Draconids are an “unusual” meteor shower in that the best viewing is in the early evening rather than the early morning.

Although the Draconids are responsible for some of the most spectacular meteor showers in recorded history, most recently in 2011, most astronomers and skywatchers consider them to be one of the more underrated meteor showers.

Because this meteor shower appears in the early evening instead of early morning like many other meteor showers, Mr. Tri Nhan (26 years old, living in Dak Lak ) said it was very convenient for him to observe. Mr. Nhan's house is not polluted by light.

“For a meteor shower that is not too big, I will choose the peak day to watch. Of course, seeing the meteors at night is an interesting experience. After that, I will wait until near the end of the month to watch the bigger meteor shower,” he shared.

Thanhnien.vn

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/toi-nay-nguoi-viet-don-mua-sao-bang-bat-thuong-bau-troi-co-hai-mua-anh-sang-185241006111549377.htm