How to See the Stunning Leonid Meteor Shower This Weekend

Looking for something to do this weekend? Stay up late—and look up—for a chance to see the annual Leonid meteor shower.

This year, the Leonids are active from November 3 to December 2, according to the American Meteor Society. The shooting stars are expected to reach their peak this weekend, from the night of November 16 into the early morning hours of November 17 and from late November 17 until dawn on November 18.

Unfortunately, the meteors might be a bit tricky to spot this time around. The moon will be roughly 98 percent full the night the Leonids peak (in its waning gibbous phase), meaning that even if you head somewhere with very little light pollution, you won’t be able to escape the bright moonlight. Still, you might get lucky and catch a glimpse of a dazzling fireball.

Here’s what to know about the dazzling and speedy Leonids.

Where the meteors come from

The Leonids—like all meteor showers—occur when Earth passes through a natural debris trail in space. These bits of dust, rock and ice left behind by a comet or asteroid enter Earth’s atmosphere, where they burn up and create streaks of light that are sometimes visible from the ground. These streaks are meteors, also known as shooting stars.

The comet responsible for producing the Leonids is called 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. The Leonids’ parent comet, which measures 2.24 miles in diameter, makes a trip around the sun every 33 years. It was discovered independently by two men: Ernst Tempel in 1865 and Horace Tuttle in 1866. Its next foray into our solar system will come in 2031.

The Leonids are the world’s fastest annual meteor shower, traveling up to 158,400 miles per hour. Because Earth and 55P/Tempel-Tuttle are traveling in nearly opposite directions, the meteors collide head-on with the planet’s atmosphere, according to the European Space Agency. At their peak, under prime conditions, the Leonids produce about 15 meteors per hour.

The Leonid Meteor Shower: This Week in Astronomy with Dave Eicher 11/11/2024

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A history of “meteor storms”

This year, the Leonids are expected to be a regular meteor shower. But every 33 years or so, they produce what’s known as a “meteor storm,” or a much more intense version of a meteor shower. During a meteor storm, at least 1,000 meteors pass through Earth’s atmosphere in an hour, NASA writes. These dazzling storms result from Earth crossing an ultra-dense cloud of debris, which typically happens when 55P/Tempel-Tuttle is at or near its closest point to the sun, known as its perihelion.

In November 1833, stargazers witnessed one of the Leonids’ meteor storms, with between 50,000 and 150,000 meteors visible per hour. Earth-bound observers were simultaneously amazed and befuddled by the unusual celestial show, as Eli Wizevich reports for Smithsonian magazine.

“In the ensuing days, a meteor craze swept across the nation,” Wizevich writes. “Americans were talking about the night the stars fell from the heavens, trying to find meaning, inspiration or prophecy in the spectacle. … Some speculated that the meteor shower was a telltale sign of a hard winter to come or that it was an ‘omen of evil.’”

The last time the Leonids produced a meteor storm was in 2002—so the next one wouldn’t typically be expected to occur until around 2035. But the American Meteor Society says the wait could be even longer. “Unfortunately, it appears that the Earth will not encounter any dense clouds of debris until 2099,” according to the society’s website.

In the meantime, though, Earth-bound viewers of the Leonids should keep an eye out for two special kinds of meteors, called fireballs and Earth-grazers, according to NASA. Fireballs, which are produced by larger pieces of debris, are unusually bright, colorful streaks that last longer than typical meteors. Earth-grazers, meanwhile, appear to shoot across the sky near the horizon and produce long, colorful tails.

Tips for viewing the Leonid shower

The Leonids get their name from Leo, the vast and well-known lion constellation. The meteors appear to originate from the part of the sky where Leo lies, so astronomers call the constellation the “radiant.” However, the Leonids don’t actually come from Leo—they just look like they do from here on Earth.

During the Leonids’ peak this weekend, you might be tempted to find Leo and stare in its direction. But experts recommend taking a wider view of the night sky instead. If you bring a friend or two, you can each gaze in different directions, then call out to each other when you spot a shooting star.

The Leonids will be competing with the moon this year. But, to set yourself up for the best chances of success, you should still head to a dark place that’s far away from artificial lights. Refrain from looking at your phone and other forms of light for 20 to 30 minutes to give your eyes a chance to adjust to the darkness. Bring a blanket or a comfortable chair, then lean back and relax—you don’t need binoculars, a telescope or any other special equipment to see meteors.

Another tip for seeing the Leonids in this year’s less-than-ideal viewing conditions? Find a place where some or all of the moonlight is blocked out—known as a “moon shadow.” EarthSky recommends a plateau next to tall mountains or a field bordered by tall trees. If these are not options, find a building and sit in its shadow.

“Ensconced within a moon shadow, and far from the glow of city lights, the night suddenly darkens and can help you see more meteors,” according to EarthSky. “You can’t run from the moon, but you can sure hide from it.”

Sarah Kuta | READ MORE

Sarah Kuta is a writer and editor based in Longmont, Colorado. She covers history, science, travel, food and beverage, sustainability, economics and other topics.