The Leonid meteor shower is still active. How to watch the show

Say what you want about the dangers of 2020. It’s been a dazzling year for sky watchers, with bright comets is abundant meteor showers which continue this month with the appearance of the annual Leonids, which last until the end of November.

The Leonids can be traced back to Comet 55P / Tempel-Tuttle and have staged some royal spectacles over the centuries in the form of intense meteor storms that produce hundreds of visible meteors per hour.

The American Meteor Society says it is unlikely that we will see such a storm in our lives (the most recent was in 2001), although 2030 could see a minor storm. This year, the Leonids offer the opportunity to see up to 15 meteors per hour. The shower peaked on Tuesday, November 17, but remains active until Monday, November 30, so you may still be able to see a handful of them per hour with any luck. Leonids tend to be quite bright, with some persistent trains.

To catch Leonids, the best strategy is to venture into the early morning / pre-dawn hours as close as possible to their respective shower peaks. Get away from light pollution if you can, dress appropriately and find a comfortable place to lie down with a wide and clear view of the sky.

So, relax, let your eyes adjust and see. It is not necessary to focus on a particular area of ​​the sky, but if you can locate the constellation of Leo, the Leonids will appear to come from that part of the sky and crawl outward like the spokes of a wheel. Also keep your eyes peeled for a bright taurid fireball, like the The Northern Taurids are also active.

Enjoy some fire in the sky. And broadcast any epic fireball photos you happen to catch; on Twitter, they are @EricCMack.