Helpful Tips For Viewing the Leonids Meteor Shower
If you're willing to stay up late on a chilly November night, you could be rewarded by seeing some of the Leonids, an annual meteor shower that takes place when Earth encounters the fragments of the comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. Stargazers will be rewarded with bright and fiery meteors that could even be tinged with blue or green colors if they wait patiently enough. While it isn't happening this year, the Leonids explode in a massive meteor storm every 33 years or so when Tempel-Tuttle completes an orbit around the sun, showing incredible displays in 1966 and 1999.
Here's the most important information if you want to glimpse the Leonids this November.
Leonids 2024 Duration: November 3rd - December 2nd
According to Earthsky, the best time to view the Leonids is predicted to be the night of November 17th into the evening of November 18th. Plan to be up late if you want the best shot of seeing meteors, from midnight to the crack of dawn if you can make it. Unfortunately, the moon will be in a waning gibbous as Earthsky notes, so there may be more brightness in the night sky that could wash out some Leonids.
Where Should You Go to See the Leonids?
Just try to get away from light pollution as much as you can. Sorry city-dwellers, you may have to plan a trip or reach out to a friend who lives out in the boonies. With perfect conditions, you could see up to 15 meteors an hour, which is admittedly far less than the cacophony of meteors in this photo from the 1999 meteor storm, captured in Jordan.
What is the Leonids' Radiant?
The term "radiant" refers to the constellation that the meteors appear to "radiate" from. You may be able to guess from the name Leonids that their radiant constellation is Leo. You may assume that you need to look at Leo to get the best view, but NASA advises the opposite because perspective quirks make the meteors look shorter if you're looking straight at the radiant point.
Make Sure You Get Comfy
The best way to take in the meteor shower is to lie down and face your feet eastward. Don't underestimate how chilly it'll get, bring plenty of layers and even a sleeping bag to bundle up in would be great. Your eyes have to adjust to the darkness of night, so don't bury your face in your phone screen while waiting for meteors because you could miss some.
Photographing a Meteor Shower
It's pretty hard to capture the fleeting nature of a meteor on camera, and triply so if you're using a phone camera. You'll likely need a nicer camera that you set up on a tripod to take time-lapse shots, and depending on conditions they may still come out rough. Space.com has a great starter guide on photographing meteors.
Enjoy the Spectacle!
Have some patience and just sit back and enjoy the shower. Make sure to read up on your constellations to try and point a few out while you're waiting. You'll likely catch a few meteors before the night is through and make some fantastic memories while you're at it.
What's Up With Tempel-Tuttle?
55p/Tempel-Tuttle has this name because it was independently discovered by Ernst Wilhelm Tempel in December 1865 and then by Horace Parnell Tuttle a month later in January 1866. NASA notes that Tempel-Tuttle is classified as a periodic comet, which means it has an orbit of less than 200 years.
19th Century Leonids
Here's a fascinating illustration of a huge Leonid storm that was visible across a ton of the United States way back in 1833, 30 years before Tempel-Tuttle had even been discovered!
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