Meteor Showers Treat Star-Gazers To Sky Show This Week
Two meteor showers are peaking this week and so it's time to get your eyes on the sky.
The Draconid meteor shower peaks Tuesday evening into Wednesday and pretty much kicks off the fall meteor shower season. We can expect around 10 meteors per hour, but, occasionally this shower produces hundreds of meteors. The good news is, the best time to see these meteors is before midnight.
Then on Wednesday, the Southern Taurid meteor shower will peak. This one also produces about 10 meteors per hour, but many of these are expected to be fireballs. These are extremely bright and can actually cast a shadow on the ground lasting for several seconds.
According to AccuWeather, the best viewing time for western Colorado is going to be Tuesday evening when clear skies should prevail. The only drawback is a bright moon will make it difficult to see fainter meteors. With rain and snow moving into the Grand Valley weather picture on Wednesday, mid-week meteor viewing may be a bit sketchy.
Here's a meteor viewing tip. While you can see meteors in any part of the sky, when you see a shooting star, trace it backward to find the shower's radiant point. The higher the radiant point in the sky, the more meteors you are likely to see.
If you miss the meteors this week, put October 21 on your calendar. The Orionid meteor shower will be peaking that night, producing around 20 meteors per hour.
It's a great time of the year to be star-gazing, but it could be a little chilly. I would suggest you find a sweater, brew some nice hot chocolate with marshmallows, and start looking toward the sky.