Search icon

News

07th Oct 2022

Meteor shower to be visible over Ireland tomorrow

Sarah McKenna Barry

Eyes on the skies.

Saturday night is set to be an important one for stargazers, as the Draconid meteor shower will be visible in Irish skies.

As The Irish Examiner reports, the shower, which is also known as the Giacobinids, will be at its most visible just after sunset on 8 October.

Having said that, Ireland is also set for a full moon on Saturday night, and its brightness may make it a little bit more difficult to see the shower.

This short-lived meteor shower will see a maximum rate of 10 meteors per hour.

It will be visible to the naked eye, though bear in mind that you will need to take time to allow your eyes to adjust.

The organisation EarthSky describes the Draconids as a “real oddity”.

“Its radiant point stands highest in the sky as darkness falls,” the website reads.

“That’s why you’ll see more Draconids in the evening hours after midnight. But in 2022, the full moon or nearly full moon is in the way.”

If you happen to miss Saturday night’s meteor shower, fret not, as another one will take place later this month when the Orionids will be visible on 21 October.

These guys will be clearer to see than Saturday night’s shower as the sky won’t be quite as bright.

The Orionids shower is caused by Earth passing through the dust and ice left over from Halley’s Comet.

According to Space.com, the Orionids have been known to display up to 80 meteors an hour, but more recently, astronomers have seen displays of 30 visible meteors each hour.

LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Conor Sketches | Tiger Woods loves Ger Loughnane and cosplaying as Charles LeClerc