The Draconid meteor shower is set to be active in the night sky above the UK this week.
The meteor shower will join a rare Harvest Moon, which will be visible in UK skies on Tuesday (October 7).
The Draconid meteor shower will be active for five days, with it set to peak on Wednesday (October 8).
What is the Draconid Meteor Shower?
The Draconid meteor shower takes its name from the constellation of Draco, where it is believed to have originated, according to BBC Countryfile.
Meteor showers are caused when the Earth travels through a cloud of debris from a comet.
The Draconid meteor shower comes from the debris of comet 21 P/Giacobini-Zinner, Royal Museums Greenwich explains.
Must-see sky events in 2025
The rate of meteors during the shower's peak will depend on which part of the comet's trail the Earth's orbit intersects.
When will the Draconid meteor shower be visible this week?
The Draconid meteor shower will be active in the night sky above the UK from Monday (October 6) until Friday (October 10).
The meteor shower is set to reach its peak on Wednesday (October 8).
The best time to see the night sky spectacle is in the evenings, "after nightfall", according to Royal Museums Greenwich.
🌌 October is full of shooting stars! ✨ 🔥 Oct 5 — Camelopardalids (5/hr, bright Moon) 🐉 Oct 8 — Draconids (up to 150/hr!) 🐂 Oct 13 — Southern Taurids (5/hr) 🤩 Oct 21 — Orionids (20/hr, NEW MOON = perfect!) Learn more:https://t.co/49JfBaTw5G pic.twitter.com/1MHbDlgZbm
— Star Walk (@StarWalk) October 3, 2025
Best place to see the Draconid meteor shower in the UK
The Draconid meteor shower can be seen with the naked eye, but you will need to find a place that has:
- A clear view of the stars
- No clouds
- Unobstructed horizon
- "Very little" light pollution
You can find a list of the best stargazing spots, most of which are dark-sky sites, near you via the Go Stargazing website.
Unfortunately, the Draconid meteor shower in 2025 occurs around a full moon (October 7), so observing conditions will be "unfavourable", Royal Museums Greenwich reports.
Rare Harvest supermoon to also be visible in UK sky this week
A Harvest Moon is also set to appear in the UK sky on Tuesday (October 7) at 4.48pm.
Don’t miss the Harvest Supermoon on Oct 7 at 03:48 GMT! 🌕 It’s both the first Supermoon of 2025 and this year’s Harvest Moon — appearing ~7% bigger & 13% brighter than usual. Check the complete lunar guide for October here: 👉 https://t.co/cHeXGkEGN8 pic.twitter.com/pDmKnxuCg1
— Star Walk (@StarWalk) October 5, 2025
The Harvest Moon is the name given to the full Moon that is closest to the autumnal equinox, which fell on September 22 in 2025.
It usually occurs in late September, however, in 2025, it won't appear until October 7, which is extremely rare.
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As Secret London explains: "In 2025, astronomical conditions make the October full Moon closer to the equinox, a timing that only happens about 18 times between 1970 and 2050.
"The last late Harvest Moon like this was in 1987."
The Harvest Moon is understood to have gotten its name due to helping farmers collect their harvest during the autumn.
The Moon causes brighter early-evening moonlight and extra light in the evenings, lighting up fields to help with the process.
