Tonight opens the Draconids’ activity window, an early chance to look for shooting stars before Thursday evening’s expected peak. (Draconids guide)
- Draconids: Try an evening watch once the sky is dark, after the roughly 6:35 PM Eastern sunset near Allentown. Draco lies in the northern sky, but meteors can appear anywhere overhead. Keep expectations modest: this is a sparse shower, and tonight is not its peak (Allentown sunset table; Draconids guide).
- Moon-free early hours: You have an evening without bright moonlight, with the next Moon rise around 3:40 AM Eastern on Wednesday, October 7 near Allentown. If you stay up that late, look for the thin crescent in the eastern sky (Allentown Moon table).
Plan ahead: The Royal Observatory lists the Draconid maximum on October 9; the predicted 01:00 UTC peak falls around 9 PM Eastern on October 8. Even then, a handful of meteors is more realistic than a storm (Royal Observatory; Draconids guide).
Moon note: Waning crescent between October 3 last quarter and October 10 new Moon; next rise around 3:40 AM Eastern on October 7 (phase calendar; Allentown Moon table).
Enjoy a little time under the sky, and join the free NOOMMED newsletter for your next backyard outing.