Stargazers, keep your fingers crossed for clear skies this week, as the storied Leonids meteor shower reaches its peak night of activity for 2023.
This major meteor shower, occurring annually in November, will be at maximum activity starting from late-night on Friday, November 17 until dawn on Saturday, November 18, according to the astronomy site EarthSky. And, in some great celestial timing, the moon will be just shy of its first quarter phase that night — meaning there will be little moonlight to interfere with meteor sightings.
Commonly known as “shooting stars,” meteors are streaks of light in the sky that are created when meteoroids — fragments of asteroids or comets — come into contact with Earth’s atmosphere. Leonid meteors result from Earth’s annual passing through the debris wake of the sun-orbiting Comet Tempel-Tuttle.
Leonids are known for being some of the fastest meteors out there, and they’re often quite colorful. According to NASA, the colors of different meteors are caused by the light emitted from a meteoroid’s particular metal atoms or, sometimes, the light emitted by the surrounding air molecules. Sodium atoms produce orange-yellow light, iron produces yellow, magnesium makes blue-green, ionized calcium can be violet, and atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen create red.
The Leonids are also known for producing history-making meteor “storms,” when the rates of meteor sightings exceed at least a thousand per hour. The most storied of these storms was that of 1833, when, according to the Library of Congress, a “shower of stars” rained down as many 150,000 meteors per hour. Subsequent Leonid storms of varying strengths have been reported in 1866, 1966, 1999, and 2001.
Experts at the American Meteor Society say that we’re likely not due for another potentially mind-boggling Leonids display until the end of this century, but even in a predicted “average” year like this one, this shower’s beautiful meteors are still a good reason to make time for some stargazing.
Viewing Tips
The Leonids get their name for appearing to originate in the part of the sky that’s home to the constellation Leo, the Lion — but you can see these meteors anywhere in the night sky.
According to NASA, Leonids are best viewed starting at about midnight local time. Start by finding a viewing spot away from light pollution, such as a designated dark-sky park. Dress appropriately for the weather and consider bringing a blanket, sleeping bag or reclining lawn chair.
Orient yourself with your feet toward the east, lie back, and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible. Give your eyes about 30 minutes to adjust to the dark. Experts say during a typical Leonids year, you might see 15-20 shooting stars per hour.
If you don’t see meteors right away, don’t worry; the show will last until dawn. And if cloud cover ruins your stargazing plans, know that the Leonids will continue, though at declining rates, through December 2.
Next up in the parade of late-autumn meteor showers: The bright, prolific, intensely colored Geminids, which begin November 19 and will peak with rates of more than 100 meteors per hour the night of December 13 and 14.
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November 14, 2023 at 08:51PM
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Look for fast, colorful shooting stars as famous meteor shower peaks this week - MLive.com
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