Leonids meteor shower: How to watch them
Every year in November, skywatchers can enjoy the sights of the Leonids meteor shower. This year, the shower will occur from midnight to dawn on Nov. 18.
This annual shower is named after the constellation Leo, the Lion, as the meteors appear to radiate out from the Lion鈥檚 mane. But you don鈥檛 have to know your constellations to see the meteors, because they will streak in all directions and will appear all over the sky.
The meteor shower becomes visible when Earth crosses paths with Comet Tempel-Tuttle, according to the science news website EarthSky. 鈥淚t鈥檚 when this enters Earth鈥檚 atmosphere, and vaporizes, that we see the Leonid meteor shower.鈥�
But what makes this shower special is that it鈥檚 the fastest encountered on Earth. Comet debris can hit the atmosphere at , reports ScienceAlert.
Although there won鈥檛 be a meteor storm this year, you can still expect to see about 15 meteors an hour. You might also catch a glimpse of Jupiter, which will be illuminated in front of Leo.
Though moonlight won鈥檛 obstruct the view, clouds might. AccuWeather聽predicts about 20 states, mostly in the midwestern US, may not be able to see the shower because of an . Southwestern states and those along the East Coast will have the best chance of seeing the meteors.
Good places to watch include state or national parks away from the city lights. But if you aren鈥檛 able to get out of the city, highways offer an alternative. Otherwise, try your roof or porch!
But if it鈥檚 cold and cloudy and you can鈥檛 get away from the city lights, you still have an opportunity to see the shower. Check out Slooh鈥檚 of the sky. And in case you miss Wednesday鈥檚 show, check the sky Thursday morning as well 鈥� you might just see a few stragglers.
