A spectacular show will be seen on the skies tonight: the annual Leonid Meteor shower!
Around this time each year, the Earth passes through a dusty trail of debris left by the comet Tempel-Tuttle. The Leonids are always a reliable spectacle each year -- that is if the skies are clear and you've got a lot of patience in tow.
Current predictions are for about 10-15 meteors per hour in 2020. Here are some tips for the best view of the Leonids tonight.
The Leonids emerge from the constellation of Leo, which sadly does not climb above the eastern horizon until after midnight. So, though you could see a couple of meteors early tonight, your best chance will be between 2 a.m. and before sunrise.
Seeing a meteor shower is a relatively easy pursuit. It's simply laying back, staring up to the stars, and waiting. Bear in mind that any local light pollution or obstructions, such as tall trees or buildings, will further minimize the odds of seeing a meteor.
Leo does not continue to be completely visible until after midnight, so it will be the perfect time to focus on locating Leonids. As dawn is about to break at about 5 a.m. local time, the lion would have risen more than two-thirds of the way up from the southeast horizon to the point immediately above it (called the zenith).
Also, since the Leonids are traveling in their orbit around the sun in a direction perpendicular to Earth, they crash into our atmosphere almost head-on, resulting in the fastest possible meteor speed of 45 miles per second. These speeds appear to create light meteors that leave long-lasting streaks or vapor trains in their wake.
A mighty Leonid fireball may be very impressive, but such remarkably bright meteors are likely to be very rare and far between this year (if any are seen at all).
Find a location that has as little ambient light pollution as possible. Set up a lawn chair, lay back, and reflect on one part of the night sky (preferably facing either north or southeast). Wear warm clothes and be patient.
And a quick note, every 33 years, as the comet makes a return visit, we have the chance to have a spectacular display of as much as 100 or more meteors every hour. The last such thing was back in 1998, and we're going to have another chance in 2031 (so mark your calendars!).
