A spectacular meteor shower is expected to light up the night sky tonight, so keep an eye to the sky. According to experts, it is a spectacle you do not want to miss.
Habitants of Earth will be able to see the top of the annual Leonid meteor shower, which is distinguished by its dazzling meteors that cast flashing, vibrant lights in the night sky. The peak will occur early on Friday morning.
According to the Bureau of Meteorology's website, a visually stunning Leonid meteor shower might be seen on November 18 in the early morning hours.
Astronomer Stuart Clark stated in The Guardian that although the Leonids may not normally generate the greatest number of meteors, they may still be incredibly spectacular.
They may be quite brilliant and colorful and travel at rates of roughly 70 kilometers per second, according to him.
The Leonid shower is also known for its fireballs and "earthgrazer" meteors. Earthgrazers occur near the horizon and have lengthy, colorful tails, but fireballs are brighter, bigger, and may remain longer than the typical meteor.
Since the meteors will be coming from the stars that make up the lion's mane, the meteor shower takes its name from the constellation Leo the Lion.
The meteors will occur all across the sky, so you do not need to gaze in the direction of the constellation.
When the meteor shower generates hundreds of meteors per hour, which is when the spectacle occurs, it is famed for creating beautiful storms.
The most recent storm, which occurred in 2001, is not anticipated to recur again until about 2035.
Because it's difficult to forecast the strength of the meteors, observers may see fewer meteors than expected.
Spotting a meteor
The meteor society has forecast that Earth may also travel over a concentrated stream of debris left behind in 1733 from the parent comet of the Leonids, Tempel-Tuttle. The best time to remain outside to search for a meteor is on Thursday evening into Friday early.
According to Lunsford, if this happens, there may be up to 250 meteors visible every hour for a brief period on Saturday morning at roughly 1 a.m. ET. During this time, if you are on Earth's night side, you could see a meteor, but to improve your chances, keep an eye on the eastern horizon. Since Leo, the constellation from which the meteors seem to originate, will still be below the horizon, those on the West Coast of the United States will have an even smaller opportunity to view this outburst.
We have traced out each of those routes going back hundreds of years since the comet only travels through the inner solar system around every 33 years, according to Lunsford. "We can very well pinpoint the time and date, but we don't know what the particle density is. So, it can be interesting or it might be a letdown.
For your eyes to get used to the dark, the meteor organization advises heading outdoors at least 30 minutes before the shower's peaks. It is preferable to gaze away from the radiant constellation since the moon will rise almost at the same time as it.
By just making a few notes on these meteors, anybody may provide important information for science. You may walk outside and count the number of people you see. stated Lunsford.
"It's enjoyable, affordable, and a great way for families to come together. I wouldn't want to miss that if the sky is clear at that time.