Leonid meteor shower peaks this weekend: Here’s how to see it
Leonid meteor shower peaks this weekend: Here’s how to see it
HE WEATHER COMPANY – Attention skywatchers, the annual Leonid meteor shower will light up the night sky this coming weekend.
It won’t be a stellar year for the meteor shower. About 15 shooting stars may be visible per hour during peak hours Saturday, according to NASA.
Every 33 years or so, the meteor shower offers a much larger show, NASA notes. These massive Leonid meteor showers are referred to as a storm with an estimated 1,000 meteors per hour. The last time Earth experienced a meteor Leonid storm was in 2002.
But 2018 will not be among the years offering a meteor storm. Still, stargazers can well enjoy the offerings of this November’s sky.
SkyEarth notes that the best time to observe the Leonid meteor shower is just after midnight local time.
“Although a bright waxing gibbous moon will be out for some of the night on the peak dates, try watching this shower during the predawn hours, or after the moon has set,” SkyEarth says.
NASA also notes that the Leonids are best viewed beginning around midnight local time.
“Find an area well away from city or street lights,” NASA says. “Come prepared for winter temperatures with a sleeping bag, blanket or lawn chair. Orient yourself with your feet towards the East, lie flat on your back, and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible. In less than 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors. Be patient — the show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to catch a glimpse.”
According to weather.com meteorologist Linda Lam, a frontal system will be moving eastward from the Midwest into the East Saturday night into Sunday morning, which could make viewing a challenge for some.
Clouds will increase from the Northeast into the South, and a few snow showers are possible from northern New England to the mid-Mississippi Valley with rain showers in parts of the southern Plains, Lam said.
Farther west, high pressure will be in place and dry conditions are expected, so viewing will be better in this region with the exception of parts of the central Rockies, where light snow may fall.
In parts of the Southwest into California, clouds may obscure the view, Lam said.
It won’t be a stellar year for the meteor shower. About 15 shooting stars may be visible per hour during peak hours Saturday, according to NASA.
Every 33 years or so, the meteor shower offers a much larger show, NASA notes. These massive Leonid meteor showers are referred to as a storm with an estimated 1,000 meteors per hour. The last time Earth experienced a meteor Leonid storm was in 2002.
But 2018 will not be among the years offering a meteor storm. Still, stargazers can well enjoy the offerings of this November’s sky.
SkyEarth notes that the best time to observe the Leonid meteor shower is just after midnight local time.
“Although a bright waxing gibbous moon will be out for some of the night on the peak dates, try watching this shower during the predawn hours, or after the moon has set,” SkyEarth says.
NASA also notes that the Leonids are best viewed beginning around midnight local time.
“Find an area well away from city or street lights,” NASA says. “Come prepared for winter temperatures with a sleeping bag, blanket or lawn chair. Orient yourself with your feet towards the East, lie flat on your back, and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible. In less than 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors. Be patient — the show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to catch a glimpse.”
According to weather.com meteorologist Linda Lam, a frontal system will be moving eastward from the Midwest into the East Saturday night into Sunday morning, which could make viewing a challenge for some.
Clouds will increase from the Northeast into the South, and a few snow showers are possible from northern New England to the mid-Mississippi Valley with rain showers in parts of the southern Plains, Lam said.
Farther west, high pressure will be in place and dry conditions are expected, so viewing will be better in this region with the exception of parts of the central Rockies, where light snow may fall.
In parts of the Southwest into California, clouds may obscure the view, Lam said.
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