Get ready to cast a few wishes on a shooting star in Bismarck Mandan this week.

The annual Draconid meteor shower starts tonight and goes through October 10th.  The fireball show begins tonight, but the peak of the meteor showers will be October 8th and October 9th.  You should be able to see at least 10 shooting stars per hour in the northern sky (some years way more than that).

Typical meteor showers can be challenging to observe. 

You normally have to stay up pretty late to get a glimpse.  What's cool about this particular meteor shower is that you don't have to wait until after midnight to see these?  This annual show is actually visible as soon as one hour after sunset.  You'll want to be looking to the north of Bismarck Mandan.

So, where does the Draconid meteor shower come from?

According to Forbes, the Draconid Meteor shower occurs within Draco, a might constellation in the northern sky that's close to Hercules, Cepheus, Ursa Minor, and Ursa Major.  Like the Big Dipper, it appears to revolve around Polaris, otherwise known as the "North Star."  You'll again want to look for Draco's meteors just above the horizon line.

What causes the Draconid meteor shower?

According to the article, comets leave a trail of debris and dust, which we call meteors and their trail becomes more visible when they get closer to the sun.

As a big waterfowl hunter, I've spent a lot of time up very early on October mornings. I've been lucky enough to witness this stardust before, and let me tell you it can be spectacular.


 

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