Leonid Meteor Shower to Peak This Weekend

The annual Leonid Meteor Shower is back again and set to reach its peak this weekend, hopefully making a few shooting stars visible.

The meteor shower occurs every November when the Earth passes through a stream of debris trailing the comet Tempel-Tuttle.

This year, it is expected to peak between Saturday evening and Monday morning.

The Leonid Meteor Shower typically produces 10 to 15 meteors per hour during its peak. However, it has also been known to cause some sensational meteor storms from time to time. 

The last one of these meteor storms was in 2002, and astronomers do not predict that there will be another one during the peak this year.

The moon phase this month will also make viewing the meteor shower more difficult this year. The shower’s peak will directly coincide with the full moon, making only the brightest meteors fully visible.

To best view the Leonid Meteor Shower, try looking at it during its  off-peak times, which are Friday night between midnight and dawn and midweek during the same time.

Even though it might be a little difficult to see, the Leonid Meteor Shower still produces greta views ideal for the eager star watcher.