![]() ![]() (Image credit: Xue Bing / Costfoto/Future Publishing via Getty Images) A meager year in 2023īut it's also, in the general vicinity of the comet where the heaviest concentrations of meteoroids are as well. Starry sky over Hora Mountain in Bayingoleng Mongolian Autonomous Prefecture, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, on the early morning of Nov. Now the comet is on its way back toward the sun and inner solar system and will sweep closest to the sun again in May 2031. In 2016 Tempel-Tuttle reached aphelion, that point in its orbit, as far from the sun as it can get: 1.84 billion miles (2.96 billion km). That's why spectacular meteor showers were seen in 1999, 20, with declining numbers thereafter. That comet last swept through the inner solar system in 1998. The "lion's share" (no pun intended) of comet dust can be found just ahead and trailing behind Tempel-Tuttle. A meteor storm becomes possible only if Earth were to score a direct hit on a fresh dust trail ejected by the comet over the past couple of centuries. Each time the comet passes closest to the sun it leaves a "river of rubble" in its wake a dense trail of dusty debris. ![]() The meteors are caused by periodic Comet Tempel-Tuttle, which sweeps through the inner solar system every 33.3 years. The Leonids received their moniker because the shower's emanation point - from where the meteors seem to fan out - is located within the constellation of Leo, the Lion, from within the backward question mark pattern of stars known as "The Sickle." Such speeds tend to produce bright meteors, which leave long-lasting streaks or vapor trains in their wake.Ī mighty Leonid fireball can be quite spectacular, but such outstandingly bright meteors are likely to be very few and very far between this year (if any are seen at all).Īstrophotographer Jeff Berkes captured this shot of Leonid meteors over a house in New Jersey in 2012. local time, The Sickle will have climbed more than two-thirds of the way up from the southeast horizon to the point directly overhead (called the zenith).Īlso, because the Leonids are moving along in their orbit around the sun in a direction opposite to that of Earth, they slam into our atmosphere nearly head-on, resulting in the fastest meteor velocities possible: 45 miles (72 km) per second. As dawn is about to break at around 5 a.m. ![]() Leo does not start coming fully into view until the after-midnight hours, so that would be the best time to concentrate on looking for Leonids. Keep in mind that any local light pollution or obstructions like tall trees or buildings will further reduce your chances of making a meteor sighting. It consists of lying back, looking up at the sky and waiting. Watching a meteor shower is a relatively straightforward pursuit. And that's only assuming you have a wide-open view of the entire sky and are blessed with dark, non-light polluted conditions. But whatever forecast you trust, be mindful that even at their very best, Leonids are expected to dart across your line of sight on an average of once every 3 to 6 minutes. on Friday evening and will pose no interference whatsoever. The moon is a waxing crescent and will set before 8:30 p.m. The International Meteor Organization (IMO) forecasts hour rates of 10 to 15 per hour with a peak at around 5:00 UT on Nov. Want to see the night sky up close? We recommend the Celestron Astro Fi 102 as the top pick in our best beginner's telescope guide. ![]()
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