Look up Summit County: Draconid meteor shower peaks Thursday night

A nearly new moon and mostly clear skies could give Summit County skywatchers a good chance to catch the annual October display

PARK CITY, Utah — Summit County residents may have a good reason to look up Thursday night as the annual Draconid meteor shower peaks under dark October skies.

NASA says the shower will peak Thursday night, Oct. 8, into the early morning hours of Friday, Oct. 9. Unlike many meteor showers best viewed before dawn, the Draconids are an evening-friendly event, with activity beginning soon after dark.

This year also brings favorable moon conditions. The moon is nearing its new phase, so little moonlight should interfere with viewing, and fainter meteors may be easier to see.

The Draconids appear to radiate from the constellation Draco, the dragon, in the northern sky. Debris left behind by comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner causes the shower as Earth passes through the comet’s trail.

The shower is typically modest. The American Meteor Society classifies the Draconids as a variable meteor shower that usually produces only a small number of meteors, although stronger displays have occurred in some years. The 2026 shower is active Oct. 8-9 and peaks Oct. 8.

Weather may cooperate in the Wasatch Back. The National Weather Service forecast for Park City calls for mostly clear skies Thursday night, with temperatures dropping into the mid-40s.

For the best chance of seeing meteors, NASA recommends finding a dark location away from artificial lights and giving your eyes time to adjust. No telescope or binoculars are needed.