November Sky Event: How To Watch The Leonid Meteor Shower This Week

November brings quite a few exciting sky events to watch out for, with this week bringing the peak of the Leonid meteor shower. Although there have already been recent sightings of Leonid meteors, the actual peak is predicted to be in the very early hours of Tuesday.

The best time to view the Leonids would be after midnight but "before any sign of dawn" on Tuesday, NASA said. With darker skies because of the new moon, sky watchers may have better chances of catching a glimpse of the annual shower, which is predicted to produce some 10 to 20 visible meteors per hour.

Ideal conditions

Apart from the dark skies during the peak, it is best to view the meteor shower from places that are far from artificial light sources that could obstruct the viewing experience. Having clear skies and a nice view of a wide patch of the sky is also an advantage. This is why people in rural areas have a better chance of seeing the meteors compared to those in urban areas.

Patience is also a must during such sky events because it typically takes some time for the eyes to adjust to the darkness and begin seeing the meteors. Although sky watchers won't need any special equipment to watch the Leonids, it is important to bring something to lie down on such as a lawn chair or a blanket to make the experience more comfortable. And it's also very important to dress properly for the weather, especially during the cool pre-dawn hours.

There is no need to look at a particular patch of the sky to catch a glimpse of the Leonids because even if they appear to radiate from the constellation Leo, from which the meteor shower got its name, the meteors will appear from all across the sky.

One might also catch a glimpse of the bright star Spica, which NASA said will also be visible Tuesday. It will be about 4 degrees to the lower right of Venus.

No meteor storm in 2020

Although the Leonids are known to be quite modest, they are also famous for producing "meteor storms.". For instance, in 1883, the Leonids produced a massive meteor storm. It reportedly produced 100,000 to 200,000 meteors per hour. Similarly, a major Leonid meteor storm also happened in 1966 when North America had a glimpse of about 100,000 shooting stars per hour, EarthSky said.

But will such an event happen this year?

The Leonids come from the dust and debris of comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle and these meteor storms typically happen when the comet is nearby. With the comet taking 33 years to orbit the sun and its last perihelion occurring in 1998, it is unlikely to have a meteor storm in 2020, EarthSky reported. Its next perihelion and possible meteor storm will be on May 30, 2031.

Still, it doesn't mean that the Leonids will not be worth watching. Sky watchers may still catch a glimpse of the stunning Leonid meteors, which typically leave glowing trails. And once the show is over, they can stay out for a little bit longer to catch a glimpse of Mercury in the morning twilight.

After the Leonids, there is still another event that sky watchers may want to watch out for – the last penumbral lunar eclipse of the year 2020, which will happen on Nov. 30.