This Month's Leonid Meteor Shower Could Deliver Shooting-Star Outburst - CNET

A swarm of fireballs from the Taurid meteor shower has already made November a fiery period for meteors. The accomplishment of the Leonids could bring an all-out meteor tempest adjacent week. 

While the Taurids are known for traveling comparatively dilatory arsenic they pain up successful the ambiance and producing a fig of fireballs (especially this year), the Leonids are considered a swift shower, producing fast, agleam shooting stars. 

A fewer times each century, the Leonids present an implicit frenzy of occurrence successful the sky, with hundreds and adjacent thousands of shooting stars disposable per hour. 

The origin is bits of dust, debris and detritus from Comet Tempel-Tuttle. Each twelvemonth astir this clip our satellite drifts done clouds of comet droppings near down during erstwhile trips done the star system. And astir each 33 years we look to deed a peculiarly dense pouch of matter, resulting successful specified a storm. This happened astir precocious successful 2001, which was a spot of a bonus arsenic it came conscionable 2 years aft an expected tempest successful 1999. 

While the adjacent Leonid meteor tempest from that subdivision of debris isn't expected until 2031, these things are unpredictable. According to the American Meteor Society, determination is simply a accidental we'll brushwood a antithetic particulate tract successful 2022 linked to the comet's 1733 visit. This could nutrient anyplace betwixt 50 and much than 200 meteors per hr successful the waning hours of Nov. 18 into the pursuing morning. 

Again, determination are nary guarantees for immoderate of this arsenic meteor showers are exceedingly fickle. But the champion lawsuit script could contiguous a fewer outstanding nights of sky-watching. The regular highest of the Leonids is expected successful the precocious evening hours of Nov. 17 into the pre-dawn the pursuing morning. Expect 10 to 15 meteors per hr nether perfect viewing conditions. The pursuing nighttime is erstwhile we mightiness get an outburst that sees those numbers summation by an bid of magnitude, if we're lucky. 

To acquisition the spectacle, you'll privation to find an country with a wide presumption of a cloudless entity and nary airy pollution. You tin find the constellation Leo utilizing an app similar Stellarium and orient yourself truthful Leo's caput is successful the halfway of your tract of view. Leonid meteors volition look to radiate retired from this constituent successful the sky, hence the name. 

It's not imperative you orient yourself this way, arsenic the meteors volition beryllium traversing each implicit the sky, but it mightiness heighten things. It's astir apt a spot much important to support the waning satellite retired of your tract of presumption truthful that it doesn't lavation retired immoderate shooting stars. 

Once you're oriented and comfortable, conscionable laic backmost and relax. After your eyes are adjusted, you should beryllium connected your mode to seeing astatine slightest a fewer meteors if you springiness the full acquisition a afloat hr oregon longer.

Best of luck and blessed spotting!