Draconid meteor shower 2024: How to see dozens of 'shooting stars' fall from the dragon's tail this week

A meteor falls to Earth with a green aurora in the background

A Draconid meteor falls to Earth as auroras dance through the sky. (Image credit: Getty Images)

On Tuesday and Wednesday (Oct. 8 and 9), the night skies may be peppered with "shooting stars" during the annual Draconid meteor shower.

Although it's not expected to be one of the year's best meteor showers, a special feature of the Draconids makes them hugely appealing to skywatchers: While most meteor showers are best observed in the early predawn hours, Draconid meteors can appear anytime after dark.

That's because their radiant point — the constellation from which they appear to originate — is Draco, the dragon, which can be found in the northern sky. Draco is a circumpolar constellation, meaning it appears to revolve around Polaris, the North Star, once every 24 hours. Draco is, therefore, always visible in the Northern Hemisphere under clear skies.

According to the American Meteor Society, the Draconids are a variable meteor shower, meaning a modest display of shooting stars is expected, with a slight chance of strong activity. The Draconids typically produce about 10 meteors per hour during the shower's peak, according to EarthSky.org. That makes the evening of Oct. 8 an excellent opportunity to go stargazing with the potential to see a few shooting stars.