Draconid Meteor Shower Streaks Across the Night Sky This Monday Evening!

Want to see a meteor shower? Tonight might be your night to catch a glimpse. Barring clouds or bad weather, you should be able to see the Draconids this evening just after sunset across the United States.

The Draconids aren't all that spectacular as far as meteor showers go. Yet they do have the advantage of occurring at a convenient time; while most showers appear in the early hours of the morning, the Draconids actually are at their brightest just after sunset. This makes them the perfect introduction for stargazers that want to see their first meteor shower--or for those that don't want to get up before dawn just to see one of these sky events.

The Draconids are hard to predict as far as how spectacular they'll be. In fact, their peak rate could be anywhere from 10 meteors an hour to several thousand an hour, according to Planetsave.com. More than likely, the shower will be on the lower end of that spectrum. However, it's hard to know exactly how well the shower will perform until you're actually outside watching it.

That said, you should be able to see the meteors that do appear rather well, according to USA Today. The moon is currently waxing, which means that it won't reflect enough light to significantly interfere with the display. This means that as long as you get away from suburban and city lights, you should be in for a treat.

The best way to view the Draconids is to find an area away from bright lights so that your eyes can adjust to the darkness. Make sure your vision has at least 20 minutes to properly adjust and then lie on a blanket or reclining chair to get a full-sky view. Then be sure to sit back, relax and enjoy the show.

Want to see the meteor shower? Check out the video below of the 2011 shower, courtesy of YouTube.