The Leonid meteor shower peaks soon. How to watch the celestial show

Say what you will about 2020, it’s been a dazzling year in the night sky, with bright comets and plentiful meteor showers that continue this month with the appearance of the annual Leonids.

The Leonids are just becoming active this week and will stay with us until the end of the month. This shower can be traced back to the comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle and has put on some real shows over the centuries in the form of intense meteor storms that produce hundreds of visible meteors per hour. 

The American Meteor Society says it’s unlikely we’ll see such a storm in our lifetimes (the most recent was in 2001), although 2030 might see a minor storm. This year, the Leonids do offer the opportunity to see around 15 meteors per hour at peak on Nov. 16 and Nov. 17, when the tiny sliver of a moon won’t produce much interference. The Leonids tend to be pretty bright with some persistent trains. 

To catch any Leonids, the best strategy is to venture out in the early morning pre-dawn hours as close to the showers’ respective peaks as possible. Remove yourself from light pollution if you can, dress appropriately and find a comfortable place to lay back with a clear, wide view of the sky.   

Next, relax, let your eyes adjust and just watch. It’s not necessary to focus on a particular area of the sky, but if you can spot the constellation Leo, the Leonids will appear to originate from that part of the sky and streak outward like spokes on a wheel.  Also keep an eye open for a bright Taurid fireball, as the Northern and Southern Taurids are also active. 

Enjoy a little fire in the sky and pass along any epic fireball photos you happen to catch on Twitter @EricCMack.