The October Draconids, in the past also unofficially known as the Giacobinids, are a Northern hemisphere meteor shower whose parent body is the periodic comet 21P/Giacobini-Zinner.

Almost all meteors which fall towards Earth ablate long before reaching its surface.

The Draconids are best viewed after sunset in an area with a clear dark sky.

Rare outbursts in activity can occur when the Earth travels through a denser part of the cometary debris stream; for example, in 1998, rates suddenly spiked[5][6] but only increased modestly in 2005.

The 2012 outburst may have been caused by the narrow trail of dust and debris left behind by the parent comet in 1959.