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The Leonid meteor shower 2018 will culminate tonight, November 17, in the early morning of Sunday, November 18.
The Leonids are a popular stop on the annual meteor shower schedule. Although the November meteor shower has recently caused storms of hundreds of meteors per hour in 2002, this year's event is expected to produce between 10 and 15 per hour.
Here are some details and tips:
When to look
You can maximize your chances of seeing meteors between midnight and dawn, and it is best to stay after the moonset when the sky is darker (the moon goes down around 1:30 of Sunday).
Where to look
Meteors seem to emanate from the constellation Leo, but you can look pretty much anywhere in the sky.
Where to be
Where you are is more important than in the sky where you look. The less artificial light there is, the better, then in the countryside, a mountain peak or an open field is preferable to city centers and suburbs.
But if you are in a city and its surroundings, it's always worth taking a look.
If you are moving away from the city, do not forget to bring your equipment to stay warm.
Where do the meteors come from?
The leonids come from the debris of the comet Tempel-Tuttle, which revolves around the sun every 33 years.
Balls of fire and earth
Although they are not very abundant, the Leonids can be spectacular.
According to NASA:
"The leonids are also known for their fireballs and their meteors.They are larger explosions of light and color that can last longer than an average meteor trail.This is due to the fact that the balls of The fireballs are also brighter, with magnitudes greater than 3. The grazers are meteors that line up near the horizon and are known to their long, colorful tails. "
Learn more about Leonids
These sites have more information about tonight's Leonid meteor shower:
NASA.gov ->
Space.com ->
EarthSky.org ->
timanddate.com ->
American Meteor Society ->
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