Meteors to light up the skies this October: How to watch the Draconid and Orionid showers
From Halloween fireballs to the Hunter’s Moon, here's what to look out for in October’s night skies.
This October, three meteor showers will light up the skies, offering an exciting opportunity for stargazers. The Draconid meteor shower is set to peak this Friday, October 8-9, with the best viewing conditions occurring between 6-10 October 2026. Unlike most meteor showers, the Draconids are most visible in the evening, after dusk, making them more accessible for casual observers. The thin waning crescent moon will only rise just before dawn, allowing for optimal viewing conditions.
The Draconids are expected to be visible to the naked eye, with 10 meteors per hour expected under ideal conditions. The streaks are caused by particles, as small as a grain of sand, traveling through Earth's atmosphere as the planet passes through a cloud of debris from the comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner. To get the best view, choose a spot with an unobstructed horizon and minimal light pollution.
Following the Draconids, the Southern Taurid and Orionid meteor showers will offer further viewing opportunities. The Southern Taurids will reach their first peak around October 14, with the second peak on October 4-5 known for producing slow, bright meteors. The Orionid meteor shower is active from October 2 to 7, peaking on October 21.
Under suburban conditions, observers might see three to six meteors per hour, while darker areas could yield even more. This shower, named after its radiant near the constellation Orion, comes from debris shed by Halley's Comet and is best viewed in the early hours of the morning.
Written by urgent.news from Euronews's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
