Leonid Meteor Shower Set to Peak November 17th Under Exceptionally Dark Skies
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - November 13, 2023 – Astronomy enthusiasts are in for a treat this Friday, November 17th, as the annual Leonid meteor shower reaches its peak. This year’s display is particularly promising thanks to minimal lunar interference, offering optimal viewing conditions not expected to return until 2031.
Experts describe observing a meteor shower under a shining moon as akin to “trying to watch a film with a flashlight trained on the screen.” Fortunately, the moon will be a thin crescent, illuminated at only 9%, and will rise late, leaving the pre-dawn hours bathed in near-total darkness.The most favorable viewing time is between 2 a.m. and dawn.
The Leonids are renowned for their speed, with rocky fragments – often no larger than a grain of sand – entering Earth’s atmosphere at a staggering 70 kilometers per second. this is approximately 200 times faster than a typical airliner. This extreme velocity creates intense friction, vaporizing the particles and producing the brilliant streaks of light known as shooting stars. Some meteors are bright enough to leave persistent trails lasting several seconds.
The source of the Leonids is comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, a “wanderer” through our solar system that returns to our vicinity every 33 years, leaving a trail of debris in its wake. Earth passes through this cosmic debris field each November,resulting in the annual meteor shower.The comet’s next scheduled return is in 2031.
While the Leonids have a history of stunning “meteor storms,” such as the unusual display of thousands of meteors per hour witnessed in 1966 and subsequent events between 1999 and 2002, this year’s event is not predicted to reach those levels. However, a captivating show is still anticipated.
Amateur astronomers require no special equipment. Experts reccommend finding a location away from city lights, allowing at least 20 minutes for eyes to adjust to the darkness, and looking towards the eastern horizon. While the meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Leo, scanning the entire sky will maximize viewing opportunities.
for those who miss the Leonids, the Geminids meteor shower, promising up to 140 meteors per hour, is scheduled to peak on December 13th and 14th, providing a spectacular conclusion to the astronomical year.
Source: Details compiled from the provided text and publicly available astronomical data.
