Draconids
| Draconids (DRA) | |
|---|---|
| File:Draconids 1933, F. Quenisset.jpg The 1933 Draconids storm | |
| Pronunciation | /drəˈkoʊnɪdz/ |
| Parent body | 21P/Giacobini-Zinner[1] |
| Radiant | |
| Constellation | Draco (constellation) |
| Right ascension | 17.467h [1] |
| Declination | +54°[1] |
| Properties | |
| Occurs during | October 6 – October 10 |
| Date of peak | October 8 |
| Velocity | 20[2] km/s |
| Zenithal hourly rate | variable[1] |
The October Draconids, in the past also unofficially known as the Giacobinids, are a Northern Hemisphere meteor shower whose parent body is the periodic comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner. They are named after the constellation Draco, where they seemingly come from. Almost all meteors which fall towards Earth ablate long before reaching its surface. The Draconids are best viewed after sunset in an area with a clear dark sky.
The 1933[1][3][4] and 1946[1] Draconids had zenithal hourly rates of thousands of meteors visible per hour, among the most impressive meteor storms of the 20th century. Rare outbursts in activity can occur when the Earth travels through a denser part of the cometary debris stream; for example, in 1998, rates suddenly spiked[5][6] but only increased modestly in 2005.[7] A Draconid meteor outburst occurred[8] as expected[9][10][11] on October 8, 2011, though a waxing gibbous Moon reduced the number of meteors observed visually. During the 2012 shower, radar observations (which detect smaller and fainter meteors) detected up to 1,000 meteors per hour. The 2012 outburst may have been caused by the narrow trail of dust and debris left behind by the parent comet in 1959.[12] A brief Draconids outburst was expected on October 8, 2025, which was projected to last for a few hours, with a ZHR up to approximately 400.[13] A Draconids meteor storm is possible in October 2098, with hourly rates potentially reaching 20,000 meteors per hour.[14]
| Date | Stream | ZHR |
|---|---|---|
| 1933-Oct-09 | 1900 | 6000[1] |
| 1946-Oct-09 | 1900 | 3000[1] |
| 1952-Oct-09 | 174 (radar)[1] | |
| 1985-Oct-08 | 250[15] | |
| 1998-Oct-08 | 720[6] | |
| 2005-Oct-08 | 1946 | 150 (radar) / 40 (visual)[7] |
| 2011-Oct-08 | 1900[16] | 300[8] |
| 2012-Oct-08 | 1959 | 1000 (radar)[12] |
| 2018-Oct-08 | 1952 | 150[17] |
References
[edit | edit source]- ^ a b c d e f g h i Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ "The meteors from Giacobini's comet", Wylie, C. C., Popular Astronomy, Vol. 42, p. 44, Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Arlt, R. "Summary of 1998 Draconid Outburst Observations", WGN, Journal of the International Meteor Organization, Vol. 26, p. 256-259, 1998.
- ^ a b Campbell-Brown, M.; Vaubaillon, J.; Brown, P.; Weryk, R. J.; Arlt, R. "The 2005 Draconid outburst", Astronomy and Astrophysics, Volume 451, pp. 339–344, 2006.
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Draconids in 1985
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- Michael D. Reynolds. Falling Stars. Stackpole Books, 2001. p. 42.
- Jun-Ichi Watanabe and Mikiya Sato. "Activities of Parent Comets and Related Meteor Showers". Earth, Moon, and Planets, Vol 102, No 1-4 (June 2008). p111-116.
External links
[edit | edit source]- Draconid Meteors Over Spain (Astronomy Picture of the Day 2011 October 19)
- Draconids in 1985, 1998, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2018
- The 2012 Draconid Storm Potentially Sampled By NASA ER-2 Aircraft Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine (item 12)
