The Leonid Meteor Shower Could Bring Out 250 Meteors Per Hour

(CTN NEWS) – The Leonid meteor shower, renowned for producing some of the fastest meteors, occurs every November.

They are regarded as one of the most impressive meteor showers ever recorded in history, largely because of the meteor storm that occurs every 33 years and causes thousands of meteors to fall from the sky.

Although there won’t be any storms this year, there are still plenty of opportunities to observe the magnificent Leonids.

EarthSky says the Leonid shower will peak on Thursday around 7 p.m. ET.

Everyone at that moment on the night side of the planet will be able to see the celestial occurrence.

On December 2, the North Taurid meteor shower and the Leonid meteor shower were both active. Sky watchers can see 10 to 15 meteors each hour at their peak.

The meteors collide head-on with the atmosphere because they travel in opposite directions of how the Earth rotates.

According to Robert Lunsford, the American Meteor Society’s fireball report organizer, the space rocks are frequently observed travelling through the sky at 44 miles per second (71 kilometres per second).

Making them some of the fastest meteors from one of the main yearly meteor showers.

According to Lunsford, the brighter meteors frequently leave luminous trails behind them and sometimes even leave smoke streaks in the sky that can last up to several minutes.

According to NASA, the Leonid meteor shower is also notable for startling fireballs, which are meteors so massive they glow brighter than Venus, and Earth grazers,

Which are meteors that streak close to the horizon and are distinguished by their long, bright tails.

According to Lunsford, the fastest meteors among the major yearly meteor showers “have a distinctive look to them, like lances, very long and sharp.”

“They are certainly among my favourites because they are remarkable, especially the bright ones.”

According to CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar, Thursday night, around the time of this peak, there will be generally clear skies and no danger of precipitation around the coasts of the United States (New York City & LA)

With gloomy skies and a 30% chance of snow, those in the Midwest (Chicago) may experience less favourable circumstances for sky gazing.

Meteor Spotting

The meteor society has forecast that Earth may also pass over a concentrated stream of debris left behind in 1733 from the parent comet of the Leonids, Tempel-Tuttle.

The best time to stay outside to search for a meteor is this Thursday evening into Friday early.

According to Lunsford, if this happens, up to 250 meteors may be visible every hour for a brief period on Saturday morning at roughly 1 a.m. ET.

During this time, if you are on Earth’s night side, you might see a meteor, but to improve your chances, keep an eye on the eastern horizon.

Since Leo, the constellation from which the meteors appear to radiate, will still be below the horizon, those on the West Coast of the United States will have an even smaller opportunity to view this outburst.

According to Lunsford, “we have traced out each of those routes going back hundreds of years because the comet only travels through the inner solar system every 33 years.”

“We can pinpoint the time and date, but we don’t know the particle density. So, it can be interesting, or it might be a letdown.”

For your eyes to get used to the dark, the meteor organization advises heading outside at least 30 minutes before the shower’s peaks.

It is preferable to look away from the radiant constellation because the moon will rise almost at the same time as it.

“By simply making a few notes about these meteors, anyone can provide useful information for science. You can go outside and count the number of people you see,” said Lunsford.

“Families can get together in a pleasant, cost-effective, and enjoyable way by doing this. I wouldn’t want to miss that if the sky was clear then.

The Year’s Additional Space Events

According to EarthSky’s 2022 meteor shower guide, you can see only two more meteor showers before the year is over. When do they peak?

• Geminids on December 14
• Ursids, December 22

The Old Farmer’s Almanac’s calendar for 2022 lists one more full moon: On December 7, look out for the frigid moon.

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