Peak viewing of the Leonid meteor shower is happening this weekend and it is expected to put on a show.
EarthSky said the shower will have 10 to 15 meteors streaking across the sky every hour, with the peak expected at 12:33 a.m. ET.
Thanks to the first quarter moon falling on Monday, there should be very little moonlight overpowering the meteors. It will be about 23% full when the peak shower hits, CNN reported.
This storm can be impressive at times, being on a 33- or 34-year cycle. For instance, in 1966, the Leonid meteor shower produced thousands of meteors a minute over a 15-minute period, EarthSky said.
They come from the periodic Comet Tempel-Tuttle, which leaves a “river of rubble,” or a trail of dusty debris, as it gets close to the sun, according to Space.com.
So what steps can you take to make sure you can see the best storm possible?
“The most important thing is to get away from light pollution,” Dr. Sharon Morsink said, according to CNN. “You can still see some meteors if you’re in a city, but you’re not going to see anywhere near the number that you get to see if you get out of the city.”
You should lay on your back, look up at the sky and wait, Space.com reported. Try to find a space that has a wide view of the sky with minimal light pollution.
If you can’t see the Leonid meteor shower, you still have two more chances to catch a shower as 2023 comes to an end.
The Geminids will peak on Dec. 13 and 14, while the Ursids will peak on Dec. 21 and 22, CNN reported.
There are also two full moons left this year.
The Beaver Moon will shine bright on Nov. 27 while the Cold Moon will rise on Dec. 26.
