Leonid meteor shower to peak this week
The annual Leonid meteor shower is expected to peak this week, offering sky-gazers a chance to witness a spectacular celestial display, reports BritPanorama.
The Leonids are set to reach their maximum visibility at 1 p.m. ET on Monday. Observers can start seeing meteors as early as 11 p.m. local time on Sunday, coinciding with the rise of the constellation Leo. However, the best viewing time is anticipated between 4 a.m. Monday and sunrise local time, according to Robert Lunsford, fireball report coordinator for the American Meteor Society.
“Unlike many meteor showers, the Leonids have a very sharp peak,” Lunsford explained, noting that there is typically only one favorable night for observation. Viewers will see what are called Earth grazers around 11 p.m. on Sunday, which travel across a larger portion of the sky and last longer than usual, although overall activity is somewhat reduced due to most meteors shooting beneath the horizon.
Under optimal weather conditions, spectators can expect to see approximately 10 to 15 meteors per hour during the peak. The parent comet of the Leonids, 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, contributes to the brief duration of this meteor shower, as Earth passes through the comet’s relatively small debris trail for only a short time.
Showers and storms
While this year’s event will feature a meteor shower, the Leonids have a history of producing significant meteor storms, where activity can exceed 1,000 meteors per hour. The last notable meteor storm occurred in 2002, but a standout instance transpired in 1966 when an estimated 40 meteors fell per second as the Earth traversed the denser part of the Leonid stream.
This extreme meteor activity correlates with the comet’s perihelion — the closest point in its orbit to the sun, which occurs every 33 years. For a storm to generate such intense activity, Earth must pass through a concentrated section of the debris during perihelion. However, often the planet merely skims the outer edges of the comet’s trail.
The next anticipated shower aligned with the comet’s orbital cycle will happen in 2033, although it is not expected to reach storm level. Lunsford projects a rate of around 100 meteors per hour for that event, akin to the Geminids, but cautioned against expecting another storm akin to those observed in the past.
