The fast facts: the shower peaks this year on the night of November 17/18 with the actual peak in the wee hours of the morning on the 18th. The Moon will be in first quarter phase, so will set before the peak of the meteor shower which is good news. Best times will be post 2:00am local time until sunrise with the best rates up to 15 meteors per hour. Leonids are fast moving, bright and often produce fun fireballs.
How to watch: Find a location that has no clouds, is clear that night, and is as far away from human activity (lights) as possible. Get into the country away from towns and cities. With warm clothing, lie down looking up at the sky (northeasterly facing might be better by a little bit). Watch. That’s all there is to it. No telescopes required.
Science Facts: This meteor shower owes its existence to comet 55P/Tempel–Tuttle. When the Earth passes through the debris field left behind by this comet, the debris slams into Earth’s atmosphere and forms the bright streaks of light we call meteors. Most of the incoming debris is very tiny with sizes less than 1mm in diameter. It is amazing how bright something can be when heated up by the friction it encounters with our atmosphere.
Enjoy!
