Leonid Meteor Shower to Peak Around Nov. 18

2009 Leonid Meteor Shower

The Leonids are back and set to be at their best before dawn from Thursday to Saturday, despite the glow of the waning moon.

Falling at around 20 per hour on average, and at speeds of up to 45 miles (72 kilometers) per second, the Leonids appear in the constellation of Leo, and are debris from Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, which orbits the sun just over every 33 years.

Due to the light of the moon, the meteors are easiest to see before local midnight, or a couple of hours before local dawn. For the best chance of sighting the shower, find a rural area, and face away from the moon after it rises.

Two years ago, the comet was at perihelion, the closest point to the sun in its orbit, when solar heat makes it more likely to drop particles.

A meteor storm is possible if the Earth passes through a dense area of comet dust. According to models by NASA’s Meteoroid Environments Office in Huntsville, Alabama, there may be an outburst at around 5:30 p.m. EST on Wednesday, Nov. 16, when 100 to 200 meteors per hour could be visible.

However, this potential light show will not be easily visible from the United States.