The Leonid meteor shower, known for its fast fireballs, is set to put on a show this weekend with shooting stars whizzing across the sky at 44 miles per second. While spectators may only see about 15 meteors per hour at the peak of the shower, the Leonids have been known to produce spectacular meteor storms every few decades, with thousands of meteors visible per hour. The last meteor storm occurred in 2002, and we are still a few years away from another one.
The best time to view the Leonid meteor shower is around midnight local time, but this year spectators will have to contend with a bright waning gibbous moon that may outshine the meteors. To get the best views, stargazers are advised to look away from the constellation Leo, where the meteors appear to radiate from, and instead view them from different parts of the night sky.
Meteor showers like the Leonids occur when Earth passes through debris trails left by comets as they orbit the sun. The Leonids originate from the comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle and create fiery and colorful streaks in the sky when they collide with Earth’s atmosphere. While meteor storms are not expected this year, future returns of the parent comet in 2031 and 2064 may lead to increased Leonid activity with rates exceeding 100 meteors per hour.
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