How to spot the Draconid meteor shower putting on a show in the night sky

Skygazers are set to catch a glimpse of celestial fireworks on Saturday night as the Earth passes through a cloud of cometary dust.

The Draconid meteor shower, also known as the Giacobinids, will peak on October 8 in the afternoon but the best time to see it will be in the evening, just after sunset.

Named after the constellation of Draco the dragon, the Draconids take place every year and are one of the two meteor showers to light up the skies in October.

The streaks spawn from the comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner, which orbits around the sun for six-and-a-half years.

Tania de Sales Marques, an astronomer at the Royal Observatory Greenwich, said: “The Draconids are a short-lived meteor shower that is active from 6-10 October and is expected to peak at around 2pm UK time with a maximum rate of 10 meteors per hour.

“Draco will be at its highest point in the sky after sunset on the 8th, in the direction of north, however, the full moon will also be up, brightening up the sky and making it hard to spot fainter meteors.”

The meteor shower will be visible with the naked eye, but skygazers will need to let their eyes adjust to the darkness.

Royal Observatory Public Astronomy Officer, Jake Foster told ITV News: "The Draconids will be radiating outward from the constellation of Draco, which will be high in the north-western sky for the majority of the evening and night.

"This will be the case across the whole of the UK, so no one location is better than another. Darker skies are always preferable, so if you want the best view of the meteor shower it is worth getting far away from bright city lights.

"The meteor shower will be visible across much of the Earth, as the Earth’s spin will bring Draco into view for many countries as time passes. However, it is best viewed in the Northern hemisphere since the radiant point of the shower (within Draco) will lie below the horizon for those living far south of the equator."

The Draconids will remain visible until October 10.

A second meteor shower, the Orionids, will also take place later this month, peaking on October 21.