The Leonid meteor shower is still active. How to watch the show

Say what you want of the perils of 2020. It has been a meteoric year for sky watchers, with bright comets and heavy meteor showers which continue this month with the appearance of the annual leonids, which last until the end of November.

The Leonids trace back to Comet 55P / Tempel-Tuttle and they’ve put on real shows over the centuries in the form of intense meteor storms that produce hundreds of visible meteors per hour.

The American Meteor Society says it’s unlikely we’ll see such a storm in our lifetime (most recent in 2001), although 2030 could see a minor storm. This year, the Leonids are offering the opportunity to see up to 15 meteors per hour. The shower peaked on Tuesday, November 17, but remains active until Monday, November 30, so you might still be able to see a handful per hour with a bit of luck. Leonids tend to be pretty bright, with lingering trains.

The best strategy to catch Leonids is to venture early in the morning / before dawn as close as possible to the respective peaks of the downpours. Stay away from light pollution if you can, dress appropriately, and find a comfortable place to lie down with a clear, wide view of the sky.

Then relax, let your eyes adjust, and just watch. You don’t have to focus on a particular area of ​​the sky, but if you can spot the constellation Leo, the Leonids will appear to originate from that part of the sky and point outward like spokes on a wheel. Also keep an eye out for a shiny taurid fireball, like the The Taurids of the North are also active.

Enjoy a small fire in the sky. And pass it all on epic fireball pictures you catch; on Twitter, I am @EricCMack.