Watch the Leonid meteor shower reach its peak this weekend
On any given night, far from bright city lights, there’s a chance you’ll see a beautiful streak shoot across the sky as a meteor flies overhead. But on special dates throughout the year, skywatchers can catch a large number of flares as meteor showers erupt in the darkness.
The next event is the Leonids, which will last until December 2nd but will culminate tonight, Friday, November 17th, on the morning of Saturday, November 18th.
Meteor showers occur when our planet encounters the debris fields left behind by icy comets or rocky asteroids orbiting the sun. These small particles burn up in the atmosphere, leading to burning light trails. The regularity of orbital mechanics means that each meteor shower occurs at approximately the same time every year, with the changing phases of the bright moon being the main variable affecting their visibility.
The Leonids are known for producing occasional meteor storms. In 1966, 1999 and 2001, rainfall exceeded 1,000 fireballs per hour. This year’s show should be a quieter number of about 15 meteors per hour, as Earth encounters debris fields released from its parent body, comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle.
The moon will be about a quarter full on the night of peak activity. The shower is best seen after midnight in the Northern Hemisphere, and later in the evening for those in the Southern Hemisphere.
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How to see a shower
The best practice is to go to the countryside and get as far away from artificial light sources as possible. People in rural areas may have the luxury of just getting outside. But city dwellers also have options.
Many cities have an astronomical society that maintains a special dark sky area. “I would suggest contacting them and finding out where they are,” Robert Lunsford, the secretary general of the International Meteor Organization, said in a 2022 interview with The New York Times.
Meteor showers are usually best seen when the sky is darkest, after midnight but before sunrise. To see as many meteors as possible, wait 30 to 45 minutes after you arrive at your viewing location. This allows your eyes to adapt to the dark. Then lie back and take in much of the night sky. Clear nights, higher altitudes and times when the moon is thin or absent are best. Mr. Lunsford suggested a good rule of thumb: “The more stars you can see, the more meteors you can see.”
Binoculars or telescopes are not necessary for meteor showers and will actually limit your view.
How meteor showers form
Each shower peaks on a certain date when Earth plows into the densest part of the debris field, although in some cases many meteors can still be seen before or after that particular night.
A shower is named after a constellation in the part of the sky where it appears to come from. But it is not necessary to be perfectly aware of every detail of the celestial sphere. Meteors should be visible everywhere in the sky during a given rain shower.