Leonid Meteor Shower Set To Light Up the Night Sky This Week; Here's When and How To Watch It

The Leonid meteor shower will be visible in most places in the northern hemisphere starting on Thursday evening, November 17, to the early morning of Friday, November 18, as reported by Times Now News.

It produces bright and fast meteors that will peak on a cold night, wherein avid skywatchers must be brave to see the beautiful cosmic display in the night sky. Those who could withstand the cold will have the opportunity to spot streaks of light or odd fireballs over Earth.

(Photo : JAMAL NASRALLAH/AFP via Getty Images)
Photo dated 18 November 1999 shows a Leonid meteor storm over the Azrak desert, 90km east of Amman. The storm packed up to some 1,500 meteros per hour visible with the eye.

Origins of Leonid Meteor Shower

Leonid meteor shower is an annual cosmic event named after the constellation Leo where the meteoroids originate. However, the cloudy and rainy conditions across the northern hemisphere would mean that sighting the annual event could be unlikely. Per BBC News, the best time to spot the Leonids will be from midnight to dawn.

The flashes of light are created when fragments of Comet Tempel-Tuttle enter the Earth's atmosphere at over 45 miles (72 kilometers) per second and create friction in the air that burns them up and leaves a bright momentary streak across the night sky.

The comet comes close to Earth every 33 years when it returns to the inner Solar System, which includes all eight planets, the Sun, and the asteroid belt.

Astronomer Jake Foster from the Royal Observatory in Greenwich explains that the comet releases dust and gases as it approaches the Sun. Due to this, it replenishes the comet's path with debris that leads to meteors or shooting stars.

He noted that Comet Tempel-Tuttle will not be returning to the inner Solar System until 2031, so a meteor storm is not to be expected on Friday. A Leonid meteor storm in 1833 peaked at about 100,000 shooting stars per hour.

Where To See the Leonids

Leonid meteor shower is known to be one of the most prolific meteor showers on Earth. The best way to enjoy its radiant view is to look for the shower's point of origin in the constellation of Leo. Skywatchers could see longer trains of glowing trails of debris and it is easier to spot there.

In New York City, In the Sky reports that Leonids are most visible after 22:49 EST (0349 GMT) each night when its radiant point in Leo rises above the eastern horizon. But the radiant point will be at its highest in the sky at about 06:00 EST (1100 GMT), although it is only short-lived as it will disappear 14 minutes later when dawn breaks.

According to Space.com, good viewing conditions in which light pollution is not present not even from the Moon are necessary to see 10 to 15 meteors per hour. The Moon on Friday will only be about 36% full, providing a great opportunity to observe the Leonids. But real-world conditions would probably just allow viewers to see lesser meteors.