Leonid meteor shower to peak on November 17-18
Skywatchers can expect to see approximately 15 meteors per hour under ideal conditions during the annual celestial event.
The Leonid meteor shower is expected to reach its peak on the night of November 17 to 18, according to the Times of India. The annual event offers observers a chance to see shooting stars across the night sky.
Under ideal viewing conditions, the shower is predicted to produce around 15 meteors every hour. The Leonids are noted for being among the fastest meteor showers, with particles entering the atmosphere at speeds of roughly 71 kilometres per second.
The shower occurs as Earth moves through debris left by comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. This comet has a nucleus about 3.6 kilometres wide and was discovered by Ernst Tempel and Horace Tuttle in 1865 and 1866.
The best time for viewing is between midnight and dawn when the radiant point climbs higher in the sky. The Moon is expected to be in its first-quarter phase and should set before the best viewing hours, providing darker skies.
The Leonids have a history of intense activity, such as the Great Meteor Storm of 1833. During that event, hundreds of thousands of meteors were visible over eastern North America, according to Nasa.