Peak of Leonid Meteor Shower Arrives This Weekend, Offering Chance of ‘Fireballs‘ and Northern Lights
The Leonid meteor shower will peak in the early hours of Monday, November 17, potentially bringing up too 15 “shooting stars” per hour to the night sky. A G1 geomagnetic storm forecasted by NOAA for late Sunday and/or early Monday may also create conditions for viewing the Northern Lights in northern U.S. states.
The Leonids occur each November as Earth passes through debris trails left by comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. Active from November 6 through November 30, the shower is most visible when it’s radiant constellation, Leo, is highest in the eastern sky – between 2 a.m. and dawn.
Exceptionally dark skies are expected during peak hours thanks to an 8%-lit waning crescent moon setting early Monday, providing nearly ideal viewing conditions, weather permitting.
Leonid meteors are among the fastest, entering the atmosphere at approximately 44 miles (70 kilometers) per second.This speed often results in bright meteors, sometimes leaving persistent trails called “fireballs.”
Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle orbits the sun every 33 years. earth may encounter larger debris fields when the comet nears the sun again in 2032-2033, potentially causing “meteor storms.”
