Meteor shower known for dazzling fireballs peaks this week. How to watch and when
Skywatchers could be dazzled with 15 meteors per hour as a celestial phenomenon reaches its peak this week.
The Leonid meteor shower — known for its speed and bright fireballs — is typically active from early November to early December.
So, when’s the best time to watch the shower in 2022?
This year, experts predict the peak will be on Friday, Nov. 18. If you want to watch, NASA recommends starting around midnight and taking your time.
Here are some tips:
- Find a vantage point far from cities and street lights
- Bundle up for frigid overnight temperatures
- Lie on your back facing east
“In less than 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors,” the space agency wrote. “Be patient — the show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to catch a glimpse.”
Those who want to see the meteor shower are in luck this year. The moon is expected to be in the waning crescent phase, so it shouldn’t block the view too much, Space.com reported.
The Leonids can travel 44 miles per second and are associated with earth-grazers, meteors that “streak close to the horizon.” They also can produce bright fireballs, sometimes called shooting stars, according to Space.com and NASA.
“Fireballs are larger explosions of light and color that can persist longer than an average meteor streak,” NASA wrote. “This is due to the fact that fireballs originate from larger particles of cometary material.”
This story was originally published November 16, 2022 at 8:13 AM with the headline "Meteor shower known for dazzling fireballs peaks this week. How to watch and when."
