Lucknow: The night sky is set for a small but potentially dramatic celestial show as the Draconid meteor shower peaks on the night of Oct 8-9. Skywatchers may spot quick streaks of light darting across the sky without a telescope or binoculars, provided the weather remains clear.Draconids are active from Oct 6 to 10, caused by Earth passing through a trail of dust and tiny rocky particles left behind by Comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner. As these particles enter Earth’s atmosphere at high speed, they heat up and burn, producing the flashes commonly called “shooting stars”.Unlike several other meteor showers that are best watched after midnight, Draconids are unusual as the best time to view them is evening, after darkness falls. The meteors appear to originate from the constellation Draco (Dragon) in the northern sky, although a meteor can flash across almost any part of the sky.“People should not expect the sky to be filled with shooting stars as Draconids are generally a modest meteor shower, but they are interesting because they can occasionally produce sudden bursts of activity,” said Sumit Srivastava, scientific officer, Indira Gandhi Planetarium, Lucknow, adding that the best way to watch them is to find a dark, open place, avoid streetlights and give your eyes some time to adjust.In 2026, the shower gets an added advantage from a nearly moonless sky, as the new moon falls on Oct 10. This means faint meteors are less likely to be washed out by moonlight. Under ideal conditions, only around five Draconids an hour may be visible, though the actual number seen from Lucknow will depend on light pollution and cloud cover.For Lucknow residents, it is ideal to move away from bright city lights, choose a place with a wide, unobstructed view of the sky, lie back and look up. There is no need to locate Draco precisely—the meteors can appear anywhere overhead. Allowing around 20-30 minutes for the eyes to adapt to darkness can also improve the chances of spotting faint streaks.MORE REASONS TO LOOK UP IN OCTOBERSaturn: After reaching opposition on Oct 4, the ringed planet remains visible for much of the nightOrionids: Peaking on Oct 21–22, this meteor shower comes from Halley’s Comet. Look skyward before dawn, after moonsetSeven Sisters: On Oct 27–28, the moon passes close to the Pleiades star cluster, visible to the naked eye
