This Friday, Nov. 17, the night sky will light up with the annual Leonid meteor shower, and it's a show you won't want to miss! The moon will be in its new phase, which means the sky will be darker than normal, which creates optimum conditions for viewing a meteor shower.
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The best place to see the shower will be someplace away from bright lights and light pollution. This is the perfect opportunity to head down a back road with a blanket and a loved one to view one of the most beautiful sights nature has to offer.
The best time to see the Leonids will be late Friday evening and into the early morning hours before dawn. The shower should peak between 2 and 4 a.m.
Scientists named the meteors "Leonids" after the constellation Leo, because they seem to shoot out from that constellation. Actually, they are debris of the comet Tempel-Tuttle.
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The Leonid meteor shower happens every year when the Earth passes through the path of the comet. The debris left by the Tempel-Tuttle gets pulled into earth's atmosphere and burned up, which creates the spectacular show. You should be able to see 10-25 meteors per hour!
