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The Leonid meteor bathe is about to hit its 2025 peak exercise this November as Earth passes by particles from its father or mother comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle.
Get prepared, skygazers: Another main meteor bathe is about to hit its peak in November.
The Leonid meteor bathe, which first turned lively at the start of November, is because of peak in exercise for 2 nights within the days forward. The Leonid meteors, which happen yearly as Earth passes by cosmic particles from comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, are usually not identified for producing an abundance of meteors, colloquially known as “shooting stars.”
But the Leonids ought to dazzle spectators with their brightness, coloration and velocity. In reality, Leonid meteors are thought of to be a few of the quickest of the 12 months.
And in 2025, the Leonid meteor bathe will present an encore of types after the northern lights dazzled in an earlier celestial mild present throughout a lot of the United States.
Here’s the whole lot to know concerning the Leonid meteor bathe, and its impending peak – seen from each the Northern and Southern hemispheres.
When is the Leonid meteor bathe?
The Leonid meteor bathe already turned lively in 2025 starting Nov. 6, and is predicted to stay so till at the very least Nov. 30, based on the American Meteor Society.
Leonid meteor bathe 2025: Here’s when, what time, exercise peaks
In 2025, the Leonid meteor bathe is ready to peak between Sunday, Nov. 16, and Monday, Nov. 17, based on the Planetary Society.
The greatest time to see meteors are usually between midnight and pre-dawn hours. Visit the web site TimeAndDate.com to search out the perfect occasions and viewing instructions to your location.
How many meteors will probably be seen? What to learn about meteor bathe fee
Observed below darkish skies, the Leonids could produce wherever from about three to fifteen meteors per hour that whiz throughout that sky at practically 44 miles per second.
The Leonid bathe can be identified for producing bigger, brighter explosions of sunshine often called fireballs that persist longer than a typical meteor streak, in addition to so-called “Earth-grazers,” based on NASA. These meteors earned their nickname as a result of they’ve lengthy and colourful tails that streak nearer to the horizon, NASA says.
Will the Leonids produce a meteor storm?
The Leonid bathe is known for producing meteor storms – uncommon occasions the place round a whopping 1,000 meteors might be seen inside an hour, based on NASA.
But do not count on any meteor storms this 12 months – or any 12 months quickly.
In most years when the Leonids peak, it’s not recent materials we see from the bathe’s father or mother comet, however quite particles launched from the comet’s earlier orbits of the solar that additionally occur to be most dense on the identical time, based on the American Meteor Society. Meteor storms solely happen when the bathe’s father or mother comet makes its closest method to the solar – an occasion often called perihelion – about as soon as each 33 years, releasing recent materials that the Earth then passes by.
The final Leonid meteor storm occurred in 2002, however “it appears that the Earth will not encounter any dense clouds of debris until 2099,” based on the meteor society. Still, when the comet subsequent reaches perihelion in 2031 and crosses Earth’s path that very same 12 months, it could nonetheless unleash extra lively Leonid bathe shows.
Could the moon intervene with Leonids?
In 2025, a waning previous crescent moon will solely be 9% full in the course of the peak of the Leonids, which means it will likely be too dim to intervene with the view of the streaking meteors.
How to see Leonids: Tips for seeing streaking meteors
Though named after Leo as a result of the meteors appear to emerge – or radiate – from the identical space within the sky because the constellation, NASA advises stargazers to look away from the constellation to get the perfect views. The Leonids ought to be seen throughout the evening sky and can seem with an extended tail to spectators who view them away from their radiant.
Here are some basic viewing ideas from the area company:
- Find an space far-off from road lights and the sunshine air pollution of cities.
- Come ready for winter temperatures with a sleeping bag, blanket or garden chair.
- Lie flat in your again along with your toes dealing with the east and lookup, taking in as a lot of the sky as attainable.
It ought to take lower than half-hour to your eyes to adapt as a way to see streaking meteors. But be affected person, NASA warns: The present will final till daybreak.
What causes the Leonids? Are meteor showers ‘capturing stars?’
Meteor showers happen when Earth passes by dusty particles trails left by comets and different area objects as they orbit the solar.
The particles – area rocks often called meteoroids – collides with Earth’s environment at excessive velocity and disintegrates, creating fiery and colourful streaks within the sky, according to NASA.
Those ensuing fireballs, higher often called “shooting stars,” are meteors. If meteoroids survive their journey to Earth with out burning up within the environment, they’re referred to as meteorites, NASA says.
The items of area particles that work together with our environment to create the Leonids originate from 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, a small comet named for the 2 males who found it independently in 1865 and 1866, based on NASA.
What different meteor showers are occurring in 2025?
Here’s a have a look at different meteor showers arising in 2025, together with the date vary that they are lively and after they’ll peak.
- Geminids, lively Dec. 1-21; peaks Dec. 13-14.
- Ursids, lively Dec. 16-26; peaks Dec. 21-22.
The Quadrantids will even start in 2025 on Dec. 26, however the bathe is not going to peak till Jan. 3, 2026.
Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at [email protected]
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