The Leonids meteor shower's peak is expected to occur tonight, November 17-18. A warning for observing this years shower: as there will be a bright second quarter up for a good portion of the night, and so all but a few of the brightest meteors will be washed out.
The Leonids generally produce 15 or so meteors per hour, but this year the numebr will be far less, as the Moon will wash most of them out. n an outburst a great many more may be seen. These outbursts occur every 33 years an the last one was in 2001, so the next unusually strong Leonids shower not expected to occur again until 2034. They originate from the dust tail of Comet Tempel-Tuttle.
The Leonids will appear to streak from the constellation Leo, but can be seen anywhere across the sky. Thankfully, there will not be much interference from the Moon this year!
If you want to try to spot some meteors, bundle up, as it is getting late in the year! Get to a dark spot, get comfortable, bring extra blankets to stay warm, and let your eyes adjust to the dark sky. A cozy lounge chair makes for a great seat, as does simply lying on your back on a blanket, eyes scanning the whole sky.
The Night Sky Network has a handout that you may find useful for your meteor watching party: Heads Up: It's a Meteor Shower Handout!
You can also check out this detailed guide to the Leonid meteor shower from Earthsky.
The Leonids generally produce 15 or so meteors per hour, but this year the numebr will be far less, as the Moon will wash most of them out. n an outburst a great many more may be seen. These outbursts occur every 33 years an the last one was in 2001, so the next unusually strong Leonids shower not expected to occur again until 2034. They originate from the dust tail of Comet Tempel-Tuttle.
The Leonids will appear to streak from the constellation Leo, but can be seen anywhere across the sky. Thankfully, there will not be much interference from the Moon this year!
If you want to try to spot some meteors, bundle up, as it is getting late in the year! Get to a dark spot, get comfortable, bring extra blankets to stay warm, and let your eyes adjust to the dark sky. A cozy lounge chair makes for a great seat, as does simply lying on your back on a blanket, eyes scanning the whole sky.
The Night Sky Network has a handout that you may find useful for your meteor watching party: Heads Up: It's a Meteor Shower Handout!
You can also check out this detailed guide to the Leonid meteor shower from Earthsky.
Date: Sunday, November 17 - Monday, November 18, 2019