Leonids Meteor Shower: A Brief but Spectacular Sky Show

The Leonid meteor shower is making its annual appearance, offering a brief but dazzling display for sky enthusiasts. This year, the peak is expected to happen around 1 p. m. ET on Monday. However, the best time to catch the show is between 4 a. m. Monday and sunrise, local time. Unlike other meteor showers, the Leonids have a very sharp peak, meaning there's only one night to see them at their best. The Leonids come from the comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. This comet leaves behind a small trail of debris, which is why Earth passes through it quickly. If you look up around 11 p. m. Sunday, you might see some Earth grazers. These meteors last longer and travel across a larger part of the sky. But don't expect to see many, as most of the action will be happening below the horizon. Under clear skies, you can expect to see about 10 to 15 meteors per hour. But the Leonids are known for more than just showers. Sometimes, they produce incredible meteor storms, with up to 1, 000 meteors per hour. The last big storm was in 2002, but the most memorable one was in 1966. During that storm, meteors fell like rain, with rates estimated at 40 meteors per second. These storms happen when Earth passes through a dense part of the comet's debris trail. The comet takes 33 years to orbit the sun, so big Leonid showers and storms occur about every 33 years. The next one is expected in 2033, but it's not expected to be a storm. Instead, we might see around 100 meteors per hour, similar to the Geminids. While you're waiting for the Leonids, there are still two more meteor showers to look forward to this year. And don't forget to mark your calendar for the last full supermoon of the year.