Leonid meteor shower to peak into this weekend
The annual Leonid meteor shower will peak into this weekend, specifically in the hours before dawn on Saturday. But this meteor display is not expected to be anything extraordinary as the Leonids are not one of astronomy's bigger shows, although you can still catch some shooting stars if you have a bit of patience.
The Leonids will appear to come from the constellation Leo, which is just south of the Big Dipper in the night sky. According to experts, the Leonids will only display about 10-20 meteors per hour, and will be best seen high in the southeast sky just before dawn. Astronomers say that the Leonids originate from debris off the comet Tempel-Tuttle.
The best viewing conditions for the Leonids are in a nice, dark place with no street lights and as few trees as possible. Clear skies are also a must as clouds will hide the show.
The moon will not hinder viewing this year as it is currently in crescent phase, and also sets in the early evening which is well before the peak of the meteor shower.
Note: There's also another meteor shower, the Geminids, coming around Dec. 13. These promise to produce up to 100 meteors per hour when at its best.
The Leonids will appear to come from the constellation Leo, which is just south of the Big Dipper in the night sky. According to experts, the Leonids will only display about 10-20 meteors per hour, and will be best seen high in the southeast sky just before dawn. Astronomers say that the Leonids originate from debris off the comet Tempel-Tuttle.
The best viewing conditions for the Leonids are in a nice, dark place with no street lights and as few trees as possible. Clear skies are also a must as clouds will hide the show.
- Check with the National Weather Service for your local weather forecast.
Leonid meteor shower viewing conditions for Friday night.
Photo credit:
AccuWeather.com
Video: How to Watch a Meteor Shower
Note: There's also another meteor shower, the Geminids, coming around Dec. 13. These promise to produce up to 100 meteors per hour when at its best.
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The Leonid meteor shower 2012 peaks tonight, according to a Nov. 16 CBS report. The meteor shower peaks tonight, and viewing conditions will be favorable because of the crescent moon. In fact, if the sky is clear in your area, the viewing may be perfect.
In fact, the moon, which is very small right now anyway, will already have set when the Leonid meteor shower peaks. Gaze at the constellation Leo, and you will see the "shooting" stars appearing to come from the constellation.
These meteors actually come from debris from the comet Tempel-Tuttle. Each November, Earth goes through the comet debris, which is what produces the Leonids each year. This year will not be an astonishing display of "shooting stars," but there will still be enough to make this worth going outside to view.
The Leonid meteor shower 2012 will peak on Saturday morning, Nov. 17, at about 3 a.m. EST. The rate is expected to be about 10 to 20 meteors per hour.
Will you go outside and check out tonight's shooting stars?
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