Often, meteors fall at rates as high as 50,000 per hour.These meteor storms just occur hardly ever, and astronomers arent anticipating much activity for the 2021 Leonid meteor shower. The Leonid meteor shower gets its name from the constellation Leo, the lion, where its meteors appear to come from. If you directly face Leo, you may miss out on the meteors with longer tails.Although the meteor shower may be a bit simpler to see from the Northern Hemisphere, skywatchers in the Southern Hemisphere must be able to see the show.”Related: Most fantastic Leonid meteor shower photosAstrophotographer Jeff Berkes caught this shot of Leonid meteors over a house in New Jersey in 2012. (Image credit: Jeff Berkes)What causes the Leonids?The Leonid meteor shower happens every year in November, when Earths orbit crosses the orbit of Comet Tempel-Tuttle.
In mid-November, the unpredictable Leonid meteor shower strikes Earth once again. This yearly meteor shower, which peaks overnight on Nov 16-17, is responsible for some of the most intense meteor storms in history. Sometimes, meteors fall at rates as high as 50,000 per hour.These meteor storms only take place seldom, and astronomers arent expecting much activity for the 2021 Leonid meteor shower. With the full moon showing up simply two days after the showers peak, moonlight will overpower all but the brightest meteors this year. The best time to look is before dawn, around 3 a.m. EST (0800 GMT), on the morning of the peak (Nov. 17). Related: 10 Leonid meteor shower factsThis image is a structure of 33 Leonids recorded overnight from Nov. 18 to 19, 2001. (Image credit: Courtesy of Koen Miskotte)When to see the LeonidsThe Leonid meteor shower peaks on the night of Tuesday, Nov. 16, and early the following early morning. Skywatchers might have the ability to see some meteors on days prior to and after the peak. According to NASA meteor professional Bill Cooke, without moonlight skywatchers can expect to see around 10-15 meteors per hour throughout the annual showers peak. However with the moons face 95% illuminated during this years peak, there wont be many visible “shooting stars” at all.”Dont anticipate much out of the Leonids this year,” Cooke said. Where to see themThe glowing, or point of origin, of the Leonid meteors lies in the constellation of Leo, the lion. The Leonid meteor shower gets its name from the constellation Leo, the lion, where its meteors appear to stem. You can look in just about any instructions to take pleasure in the show, Cooke said. If you directly deal with Leo, you may miss out on the meteors with longer tails.Although the meteor shower might be a bit much easier to see from the Northern Hemisphere, skywatchers in the Southern Hemisphere must be able to see the show too. “Theyre not quite as excellent, but nearly as excellent,” said Cooke. “The Leonids are an OK shower from the Southern Hemisphere.”Related: Most amazing Leonid meteor shower photosAstrophotographer Jeff Berkes recorded this shot of Leonid meteors over a house in New Jersey in 2012. The 2020 Leonids will peak over night Nov. 17-18. (Image credit: Jeff Berkes)What triggers the Leonids?The Leonid meteor shower happens every year in November, when Earths orbit crosses the orbit of Comet Tempel-Tuttle. The comet makes its way around the sun every 33.3 years, leaving a trail of dust debris in its wake.When Earths orbit crosses this trail of particles, pieces of the comet fall toward the worlds surface area. Drag, or air resistance, in Earths environment causes the comets crumbs to warm up and fire up into burning balls of fire called meteors. Related: How comets cause meteor showersThese comet crumbs are usually the size of a grain of sand or a pea, so they tend to burn up totally prior to striking Earths surface. Meteors that make it through the entire journey to the ground are called meteorites. However the Leonid meteor shower likely will not deliver any meteorites.What do you require to see them?Meteors are visible to the naked eye, so you will not require any special devices to see them.”Go outside, find a dark sky, lie flat on your back and look directly,” Cooke stated, “and be prepared to invest a couple of hours outside.”Given that the meteors are relatively sporadic and happen during a cold time of year, it is best to bundle up and relax.Email Hanneke Weitering at [email protected] or follow her @hannekescience. Follow us @Spacedotcom and on Facebook. Extra reporting by Elizabeth Howell, Space.com contributor.
