Can You Spot the Draconids?

When to See the Draconid Meteor Shower

The Draconid meteor shower is active from October 6 to October 10. However, the peak night on October 8–9 might be the best time to spot a Draconid shooting star.

Although the Draconids generally aren’t one of the year’s best meteor showers, one benefit in 2026 is that there will be no bright moonlight washing out the meteors, as New Moon falls on October 10.

Another plus of the Draconids is that the best time to view them is in the evening hours rather than between midnight and dawn, making it easier to step outside and take a look without having to stay up until an unsociable hour.

For the best chance of spotting a Draconid meteor, head out a little after sunset on October 8, once skies are dark. Even if you don’t catch a shooting star, there’s still plenty to enjoy in the October night sky. And later in the month, the Orionids offer another chance to spot meteors.

Where to See the Draconids

The Draconids are best viewed from the Northern Hemisphere, where the meteor shower’s radiant sits high in northern skies.

The radiant is the point in the sky from which the meteors appear to originate, and for the Draconids, it lies in the head of the constellation Draco the Dragon.

To find the Dragon’s head, look for the bright star Vega. Nearby, you’ll find a group of four stars forming a compact shape that looks a bit like a lopsided square. Two of the most prominent stars, Eltanin and Rastaban, represent the Dragon’s eyes.

You can find Draco’s tail winding between the Big Dipper and Little Dipper. It’s a large, sprawling constellation, so tracing the whole dragon can be a little tricky.

Even though the meteors appear to come from the radiant, they can be seen in any part of the night sky. So while it can be fun to try to trace the constellation, if it’s too difficult to find, it won’t hinder your chance of spotting a shooting star.

What to Expect

The Draconids are usually a fairly modest meteor shower, so unfortunately, the sky won’t be filled with shooting stars. In a typical year, only a handful of meteors may be visible each hour under dark skies.

One thing to look out for with Draconids is their speed. Compared with meteors from many other showers, Draconid meteors enter the atmosphere relatively slowly. This can result in faint streaks and generally requires a larger Draconid to be more easily seen. On the plus side, since the meteors move at a slower pace, it means you get slightly more time to spot them in the sky.

They also have a history of fluctuating activity. Most years are quiet, but the Draconids have occasionally produced dramatic bursts of activity, including meteor storms in 1933 and 1946, as well as strong outbursts in more recent years. However, no surge in meteor activity is expected in 2026.

(*) Image by Mike Lewinski , licensed under CC BY 4.0 .

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