The Leonids Meteor Shower Peak Is Coming

 The weather is looking close to good enough to see this show.  We are already missing the Northern Taurids’ peak due to cloud cover.  The Leonids meteor shower will peak this weekend, November 17th to the 18th.  Producing 10-20 meteors/hour.  The moon will affect this shower, but after moonset, which is  at 2 AM, then viewing will be much easier.  

   The Leonids have produced some of the most impressive shows in history.  Meteor storms have been observed during the Leonids (every 33 years). A meteor storm “sprays” shooting stars at a rate of hundreds or thousands an hour and lights up the sky.  This can last very briefly or for hours.  It occurs when earth passes through a concentration of debris left in the path of Comet Tempel-Tuttle. The Leonids last peaked in 1999, with bonus peaks in 2001 and 2002.