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    • The Leonid meteor shower reaches its peak in November 2024: when, how to watch it
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    The Leonid meteor shower reaches its peak in November 2024: when, how to watch it

    Umito Posted on

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    THE Leonid meteors are a few years away from producing the friendly meteor storm that dazzles astronomers once every 33 years or so, but the fast-moving fireballs they are known for producing are still expected to put on a show this weekend.

    When meteor shower activity peaks, observers should be lucky enough to see shooting stars streaking across the sky at breakneck speeds of around 44 miles per second. The Leonids are also known for their fireballs, which are brighter, more colorful and last longer than an average meteor trail which can sometimes whiz so close to the horizon that their long tails appear to brush the Earth. according to NASA.

    But even though meteors are fast, they are not necessarily abundant. At this height, spectators can only see around fifteen meteors in an hour.

    However, meteors have their biggest impact every few decades when their parent comet’s orbit around the sun causes a meteor storm with hundreds, if not thousands, of meteors visible per hour. In 1966, the Leonids produced one of the largest meteor storms in living memory, when thousands of meteors per minute fell like rain for 15 minutes, according to EarthSky.org.

    The last Leonid meteor storm took place in 2002, which means we’re still a few years away from another one.

    Here’s what you need to know about when and how see the Leonids.

    When can you see the Leonid meteor shower?

    While the Leonids are active from November 3 to December 2, the rain will reach its peak activity on Saturday and Sunday, according to the American Meteor Society.

    How to watch the Leonids

    The Leonids are best visible from midnight local time.

    Unfortunately, this year, viewers will have to contend with a nearly full waning gibbous moon, which will spoil the best views of the meteors by eclipsing them, the Meteor Society says.

    Although named after Leo because the meteors appear to emerge – or radiate – from the same area of ​​the sky as the constellation, NASA advises astronomers must look away from the constellation to get the best views. The Leonids should be visible in the night sky and will appear with a longer tail to spectators viewing them away from their radiant.

    Here are some general visualization tips from the space agency:

    • Find an area away from street lights and city light pollution.
    • Prepare for winter temperatures with a sleeping bag, blanket or lawn chair.
    • Lie on your back with your feet facing east and look up to admire as much of the sky as possible.

    It should take less than 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust so you can see meteor streaks. But be patient, NASA warns: the show will last until dawn.

    What causes the Leonid meteor shower?

    Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through trails of dusty debris left behind by comets and other space objects as they orbit the sun. The debris – space rocks known as meteoroids – collide with Earth’s atmosphere at high speed and disintegrate, creating fiery, colorful trails in the sky. according to NASA.

    The resulting fireballs, better known as “shooting stars,” are meteors. If meteoroids survive their journey to Earth without burning up in the atmosphere, they are called meteoritessays NASA.

    The pieces of space debris that interact with our atmosphere to create the Leonids come from 55P/Tempel-Tuttlea small comet named in honor of the two men who independently discovered it in 1865 and 1866, according to NASA.

    Although the Leonid shower is famous for producing meteor storms, don’t expect any this year. These events occur when its parent comet completes a single orbit around the sun about once every 33 years, releasing new material.

    According to the American Meteor Society, it’s not fresh material we see from the comet, but rather debris from previous returns that also happens to be the densest at the same time.

    “When the comet returns in 2031 and 2064, there may be no meteor storms, but perhaps several good displays of Leonid activity when rates exceed 100 per hour,” according to the website .

    Eric Lagatta covers the latest news and trends for USA TODAY. Contact him at [email protected]

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