Montana Skies May Be Perfect For Fall Meteor Shower

Before we witness the partial lunar eclipse, that is happening on October 28, the Montana skies might be in perfect shape to check out one of the bigger fall meteor showers we may see this year. Fall meteor showers are currently underway, but one in particular will be peaking at the beginning of next week..

The Montana Forecast Is Ideal For Viewing

The Draconid meteor shower is predicted to be peaking on the evening of October 8th through the morning of October 9th. The forecast for much of Montana is clear skies, so we will hopefully get a great view of this shower. What makes this meteor shower a bit different than others, is a lot of meteor showers happen very late at night or in the early morning. The Draconid shower will be most visible in the evening as the sun sets on October 8th. In rare instances this meteor shower can spew hundreds of meteors every hour.

If the Parent Comet is With the Meteor Shower, It Will Be Impressive

According to EarthSky.com there is a comet that is known come around occasionally at the same time as the Draconid meteor shower. It is called the 21P/Giacobini-Zinner comet. When the comet comes around it can produce some amazing meteor showers with hundreds and sometimes thousands of meteors per hour. The comet is predicted to be back around in 2025, but you never know when it can happen again.

Look to the North Sky in Montana

You will want to look Northwest in the sky or perhaps directly overhead. When you find the "Little Dipper" in the sky the meteors should be coming from the north and west of that constellation. For those that know the stars, the focal point will be coming from Eltanin and Rastaban. In just a couple days, Montana, keep your eyes to the sky and you may see something quite amazing.