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The Draconid meteor shower peaks tonight. Here’s where to look.

BOSTON – The Draconid meteor shower peaks tonight. While this is not typically one of the better shows of the year, there are a few reasons why you shouldn’t completely write this one off if you’re viewing from Massachusetts.
Typically, we have to wait until after midnight to see the best meteor showers as they almost always appear to emanate from constellations that rise above the horizon late at night.  
The Draconids get their name from their origin constellation Draco, “The Dragon” which is located in the northern sky. Therefore, we should be able to see some meteors earlier in the evening, really any time after dark.  
More good news, the viewing conditions look great. Skies will be mostly clear Tuesday night and there will be very little natural light pollution as the waxing crescent moon will be setting shortly after 9 p.m. The only real bright object in the sky will be the planet Venus in the western sky.
As always, to maximize your chances of see a few shooting stars, you should find a location with as little artificial light as possible and also one with a wide, unobstructed view of the sky.
Best case scenario, you may catch one meteor every five minutes or so. It’s not a blockbuster show, but still pretty cool.
2024 may very well go down as one of the best astronomical years ever.
With just a little bit of effort, you could easily have checked several bucket list items in the last several months.
On Sunday night we had a great view of the northern lights, right in our backyard. This shot is from Peter in Gloucester, Massachusetts.
October is going to be another fantastic month in the night sky. 
The “naked-eye” comet discussed at the end of September is set to make a comeback. More on that later in the week.

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