Get Ready to Witness the Leonid Meteor Shower
Attention Texas stargazers! This weekend marks the peak of the annual Leonid meteor shower, and it is expected to be quite a show. The shower began on Nov. 3 and will continue through Dec. 2, with the peak predicted to occur at 11:33 p.m. on Saturday, according to EarthSky. This year’s view of the Leonids will be extra special since moonlight won’t interfere much with visibility, with the moon only 23 percent full on the night of the shower’s peak.
The Leonid meteor shower occurs each year in November as Earth passes through the debris trail of rocks and dust left behind by the comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. These meteors are some of the fastest known, traveling at an incredible speed of 44 miles per second. They are known for their bright magnitudes and ability to produce extremely long-duration trains, some lasting up to several minutes.
The Leonids are also famous for generating meteor storms, a term used when a shower reaches rates of at least 1,000 meteors per hour. The Leonids hold the record for the highest rate of meteors per hour seen in a meteor stream, spawning 144,000 meteors per hour in 1966.
The shower gets its name from the constellation Leo because the meteors appear to originate outward from the stars that represent the lion’s mane. However, you don’t have to look to the constellation to witness the stellar spectacle. Like meteors in all annual showers, the Leonids will appear in all parts of the sky, streaking out from their radiant—the point where they originate from—in all directions.
If you can’t catch the Leonids this year, there are two remaining meteor showers that will peak in 2023: the Geminids, peaking on Dec. 13-14, and the Ursids, peaking on Dec. 21-22. So, mark your calendars and get ready to witness the breathtaking beauty of these celestial events.
So, gather your friends and family, find a dark spot away from city lights, and enjoy the dazzling display of the Leonid meteor shower. It’s an experience that will leave you in awe of the wonders of the universe.