Look Up! The Draconid Meteor Shower Peaks This Week—Here's How to See Its Shooting Stars

Before settling in after the sun sets tonight, take a look at the sky to see a fantastic sight—the Draconid meteor shower. The shower will be visible this evening through the early morning of October 8, according to EarthSky.org.

The Draconids take place every year at the beginning of October. The shooting stars form when Earth passes through debris left behind by Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, which passes our planet once every 6.6 years, according to NASA.

While the Draconid meteor shower is usually weak and only produces a few meteors per hour, Draconid meteor storms have occurred in years past. This is when 1,000 or more meteors can be seen per hour. NASA reports that in 1933 when the shower was at its peak, 500 Draconid meteors were spotted per minute in Europe. A few years later, in 1946, 50 to 100 meteors were seen per minute in the U.S.

This year, the best time to watch the Draconids is the evening of October 7 and into the early morning of Tuesday, October 8. Since there will be a waxing crescent moon that is just 27 percent illuminated, stargazers can watch for meteors in a moonless sky.

While the Draconids are an exciting celestial event to look out for this month, they're not the only reason to keep your eyes on the night sky throughout October. On October 17, the full Hunter Moon will peak—appearing brighter and bigger than usual.