San Rafael was an excellent place to watch the Draconid meteor shower as it lit up the October sky, with more spectacular astronomical sights expected over the next few weeks.
The Tauris and Orionid meteor showers also made appearances, allowing locals a distraction from their earthly concerns for a moment as they watched the sky show.
The Draconid meteor shower can be seen every year, and is one of the few annual meteor showers best viewed at the start of nightfall, although this year offer stargazers a sizeable window of time to spot a shooting star or two. Brochure printing can be used to help sky watchers track this sort of notable space event.
The Orionid meteor shower started on October 2 and it is expected to be visible until November 7, but sometime around next Wednesday and Thursday, October 21 and 22. The best time to see the Orionid meteor shower is after midnight, and the crescent moon is expected to give minimal interference.
The Orionid is expected to be the more spectacular of the three meteor showers, and sky watchers should be able to see about 20 shooting stars per hour during the peak. This meteor shower is unusual because it is made up of debris from different systems, namely Comet 2P Encke and Asteroid 2004 TG10.
Location
1003 3rd Street
San Rafael, CA 94901
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Hours
Mon: 9:00 - 5:00
Tue: 9:00 - 5:00
Wed: 9:00 - 5:00
Thu: 9:00 - 5:00
Fri: 9:00 - 5:00
Sat: Closed
Sun: Closed