Draconid Meteor Shower 2025: How to spot shooting stars from Scotland as they become most visible tonight
The meteor shower is only visible from the Northern Hemisphere.
Every October the Draconid meteor shower sees hundreds of meteors burn up in Earth’s atmosphere every hour.
The Draconid meteor shower, while being on the smaller side, can only be visible from the Northern Hemisphere.
Therefore we’re perfectly placed in Scotland to see the show.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Draconids, and how to watch them as they’re expected to be most visible this evening.
What is a meteor shower?
Meteors are created when a meteoroid enters the Earth’s upper atmosphere, which causes it to quickly heat up due to friction from the air.
This heat causes the gases around the rock to glow brightly, causing it to become a meteor which can be seen from Earth.
When a number are seen within a short period of time it is classed as a meteor shower.
When do the Draconids become most visible?
This year, the Draconids meteor shower takes place between Monday, October 6 and Friday, October 10.
It will be most visible on Wednesday, October 8, in the evening.
What are the Draconids?
The Draconid meteor shower is named after the constellation Draco - meaning the Dragon.
This meteor shower comes from the debris of comet 21 P/ Giacobini-Zinner.
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The comet has a 6½-year-long orbit around the sun that periodically carries it near Jupiter and a particularly large amount of particles was created in 1900.
Earth passes close to the orbit of this comet in early October each year.
What’s the best way to watch the Draconids in Scotland?
There are two main things you need to watch a meteor show – patience and clear skies.
If there are clear skies then wrap up warm, find a location with minimal light pollution and use a sky map to find the Draco the Dragon constellation.
Unlike most other meteor showers that are best seen in the early hours of the morning, the Draconids are actually best seen in the early evening, after the Sun has set.
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