The Leonid meteor shower peaks this week

November 14, 2020 Science



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Meteors can be harder to see when there is a bright moon, but fortunately the moon will only be 5% visible, according to the American Meteor Society. The meteor shower is expected to peak on November 16 and 17. Leonids will be most visible from the Northern Hemisphere, but you can also see them from the Southern Hemisphere.

Weather can also affect visibility. The United States is expected to have mostly clear skies on peak nights, with the exception of some thunderstorms along the west coast, according to CNN meteorologist Dave Hennen.

The tiny comet Tempel-Tuttle, the parent body of the Leonids, will travel through Earth’s orbit, creating a hazy rain of debris into the atmosphere. The comet takes 33 years to complete one orbit of the sun.

Typically, there are between 10 and 15 meteors per hour. Check online to see when it will be visible in your part of the world.
Sometimes Leonid meteors can shoot into the sky with bright colors. The color of the meteor depends on the metal in the meteor, and for the green ones, according to NASA, it was probably magnesium.

The meteor shower is named after the constellation Leo the Lion, as the meteors will come from the stars that make up the lion’s mane. But it is not necessary to look in the direction of the constellation, because meteors will appear all over the sky.

Bright meteors can also be colorful and are fast, moving at 44 miles per second, among the fastest meteors. Fireballs and “earthgrazer” meteors are also a hallmark of the Leonid shower. Fireballs are brighter and larger and can last longer than the average meteor, while the pastures of the earth appear close to the horizon with long, colorful tails.

A Leonid meteor shoots across the sky in Tucson, Arizona, with Jupiter and Venus also visible.
The Leonid meteor shower overlaps with the Northern Taurid meteor shower, so some meteors from that rain may also be visible. The Northern Taurids are also known for their fireballs, meaning if you see a fireball or two it may have originated from that shower.

Unfortunately, this year’s rain won’t produce a meteor storm, which is when you can see up to 1,000 meteors per hour. Although such an event has previously been associated with the Leonid meteor shower, the latest storm occurred in 2001.

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The best time to see meteor showers will be between midnight and sunrise on both mornings, wherever you are in the world. Light pollution from cities can obstruct your view, so drive to a quieter place with fewer lights.

Find an open area with a wide view of the sky and don’t forget to wrap yourself up. If you want to photograph the Leonid meteor shower, NASA suggests using a manual focus camera on a tripod with built-in shutter release cord or timer, equipped with a wide-angle lens.

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