This week is the peak of the 2010 Leonid meteor shower. In fact, tonight and tomorrow night is the peak of the lovely meteors also sometimes called shooting stars (but they aren’t actually stars). If skies are clear, you should see 15 to 20 meteors per hour – it is sure to be lovely.
Best Viewing of Leonid Meteor Shower
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The viewing is best from moonset until about 5:15 a.m. For the absolute best view is the last two to three hours before sunrise. Obviously if you are out at that time be sure to bundle up and get comfortable so you’ll be able to stay out long enough to catch the meteors burning through the sky.
Every November the Leonid meteor shower delights skywatchers with its beautiful display of lights. The reason why Earth gets to see these meteor showers each year is because Earth passes through the left behind particles of the Tempel-Tuttle comet.
Every 33 years the Leonid meteor shower produces literally hundreds or thousands of meteors per hour because Earth passes through a dense area of the comet remains. Unfortunately this isn’t one of those amazing years, but there are still lots of meteors to be viewed tonight.
Do you have plans to check out the annual Leonid meteor shower tonight? If so, what are they? Happy viewing skywatchers!
© Copyright: News Today Online by Kate James at Gather.com
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