The annual Leonid meteor bathe will peak within the early morning hours Monday (Nov. 17), and if you happen to’re prepared to rise early (or keep up late), it’s possible you’ll spot as much as 15 meteors per hour in a moonless night time sky.
The Leonids are lively from Nov. 6 to 30, however the peak night time — when Earth passes by the densest a part of the meteor stream — will happen between midnight and daybreak on Nov. 17.
This year’s Leonids offer one of their best viewing windows in recent years, thanks to a nearly moonless night. According to the American Meteor Society, a waning crescent moon — simply 9% illuminated — will rise late within the predawn hours, leaving the prime viewing hours freed from moonlight.
Leonid meteors are identified for his or her velocity, hanging Earth’s environment at roughly 44 miles per second (70 kilometers per second). This velocity typically produces shiny meteors, or fireballs, a few of which go away persistent trails.
The Leonids are brought on by tiny particles from Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle that dissipate within the environment, producing meteors. The comet orbits the solar each 33 years and is because of return to the inside photo voltaic system in 2031.
Historically, the Leonids have been identified for producing dramatic meteor storms. These uncommon occasions, the place charges exceeded 1,000 meteors per hour, had been recorded in 1833, 1866, 1966, 1999, 2001 and 2002. The 1966 Leonid meteor bathe is rated because the most interesting in recorded historical past; so many meteors had been seen in a 15-minute interval that they appeared to fall like rain, in keeping with NASA. No dense particles encounters are anticipated this yr, nonetheless, so a meteor storm is unlikely.
For the very best expertise, head exterior between 2 a.m. and daybreak on Nov. 17. Find a location away from metropolis lights, lie again with a large view of the sky, and permit your eyes about 20 minutes to adapt to the darkish.
Leonids seem to radiate from the constellation Leo, which rises within the jap sky after midnight. However, meteors will be seen in any a part of the sky, and stargazing binoculars or a telescope may also help you see them. Because Leo is on the celestial equator, this meteor bathe will be seen simply as simply in each hemispheres.
After the Leonids, the following main meteor bathe would be the Geminids — essentially the most prolific meteor bathe of the yr. During this occasion, which peaks Dec. 13-14, round 140 “shooting stars” per hour could also be seen.