The last quarter moon will be closest in 2022 on November 16. Thus, from the time Leo starts to rise just before midnight until the fat waning crescent moon rises, there will be a brief window of darkness.
Expected meteors at maximum, in perfect circumstances: You might view 10 to 15 Leonid meteors each hour if the sky is dark and there is no moon.
Note: One of the biggest meteor showers in recent memory was caused by the famed Leonid meteor shower. On the morning of November 17, 1966, rates peaked at tens of thousands of meteors per minute for a period of fifteen minutes. Leonid meteors did momentarily start to fall like rain that night. Some who saw it vividly imagined Earth traversing the meteor shower while traveling through space. Sometimes, leoniad meteor storms occur in cycles lasting 33 to 34 years. However, although being spectacular for many onlookers around the beginning of the century, the shower in 1966 was superior. Additionally, the Lion typically whimpers rather than roars.
It’s fun and simple to notify the American Meteor Society about a fireball (a meteor that is really bright).
In This Article...
The parent comet of the Leonid meteor shower
Regular Comet The Leonid meteor shower is brought on by Tempel-Tuttle, also known as 55P/Temple-Tuttle. On the evening of December 19, 1865, William Tempel of the Marseilles Observatory in France made the discovery of this comet. The comet was discovered by him in the northern sky, close to the star Beta Ursae Minoris, in a region of the sky beneath the north star.
Although news of the comet finding spread throughout Europe, it had not yet reached the United States. On the evening of January 5, 1866, 17 days after it was discovered, Horace Tuttle of the Harvard College Observatory captured the comet. Tuttle’s name was added to the comet because this was a separate finding. Scientists estimated a 33.17-year orbit based on the readings taken during this comet’s encounter. Astronomers rapidly concluded that this comet was to blame for the annual meteor storms and showers that occur in mid-November.
As this comet returned to our area in 1899, one would expect there would be a lot of interest in recovering it. However, nobody was very interested in watching the comet; instead, they all wanted to observe a meteor storm. Therefore, the comet was not seen in 1899. A fantastic meteor shower that year was also absent.
In 1932, scientists anticipated the next reappearance. The observatories missed it back then as too, utilizing photographic plates and limited field-of-view telescopes. Once more, a significant meteor shower failed to materialize.
In 1965, the comet was eventually located. The comet only became 16th magnitude brilliant that year, making it only viewable through very powerful telescopes. In 1966, a stunning meteor storm came next. The comet was sufficiently brilliant for binocular viewing at the subsequent trip in early 1998. In 19992001, this transit resulted in further spectacular meteor showers. Early in 2031, 55P/Temple-Tuttle is expected back.
Several scientists determined the precise time and severity of the storm since there was so much expectation for the 1998 return and the anticipated meteor storms. They were also true. This was the first time when a prediction proved accurate. It is carried out by examining material filaments that the comet emitted throughout each journey through the inner solar system. A comet filament from hundreds of years ago will frequently cross the planet and create a spectacular shower. Here is a sample of that type of work, along with predictions through the year 2100.
Note: For this shower from the years 2001 to 2100, these two articles (Leonids and Leonids 1901-2100) provide exact meteor predictions for each year. They say 2022 might be a successful year.
Which direction should I look to see the Leonid meteor shower?
The point in the starry sky where meteors in yearly showers appear to emerge from gives them their names. Because these meteors radiate outward from the vicinity of stars that depict the Lion’s Mane, this shower gets its name from the constellation Leo the Lion.
The Leonid meteor shower does appear to originate close to the star Algieba in the constellation Leo if you follow the meteors’ travels backward on the dome of the sky. The radiant point is the point in the sky from which they seem to emanate. It’s an optical illusion to see this luminous spot. It’s similar like looking off into the distance when standing on railroad tracks to see the tracks come together. The fact that the meteors are moving in parallel paths, much like railroad tracks, gives the appearance of a radiant point.
In recent years, people have received the false belief that you must know the whereabouts of a meteor shower’s radiant point in order to see the meteor shower. You are not required. The meteors frequently take about 30 degrees from their radiant point before they become visible. From the radiant, they are shooting off in all directions.
As a result, the Leonid meteors will appear everywhere in the sky, just as meteors in all annual showers.
A history of meteor storms
This year, a Leonid meteor storm is not anticipated by scientists. To classify a shower as a storm, most astronomers agree that there must be more than 1,000 meteors per hour. That is much less than the 10 to 15 meteors per hour that the Leonids typically produce.
But the Leonid shower is well known for its meteor storms. About every 33 years, the parent comet, Tempel-Tuttle, completes one orbit of the sun. Every time it draws nearer to the sun, it releases new material. Since the meteor storm of 1833, which witnesses claimed produced more than 100,000 meteors an hour, skywatchers have been looking for Leonid meteor storms every 33 years on average.
The following significant Leonid storms occurred in 1866 and 1867, or around 33 years later. A meteor storm did not occur in 1899. In fact, CP Oliver said that the results were so underwhelming despite the high expectations for a powerful meteor storm:
The failure of the Leonids to reappear in 1899 was the largest setback astronomy has ever seen in the eyes of the general public, and it has indirectly harmed the dissemination of science among our population greatly.
The next great Leonid storm, this time over the Americas, didn’t occur until 1966. On the morning of November 17, 1966, observers in the southwest of the United States reported seeing 40 to 50 meteors per second, or 2,400 to 3,000 meteors per minute.
The show started on November 18 in the early morning when Earth passed through a dust cloud left behind by Comet Tempel-Tuttle in 1766. Numerous thousands of meteors per hour fell on Hawaii and North America. Then, on Monday morning, November 19, it happened once more: Earth entered a second cometary debris cloud from Tempel-Tuttle (local time in Asia). Then, thousands more Leonids fell across Australia and east Asian nations.
The Leonid meteor shower of 1833
The iconic etching of the 1833 Leonid meteor shower shown above was created by Adolf Vollmy for the Adventist book “Bible Readings for the Home Circle.” It is based on a painting by Swiss artist Karl Jauslin, which in turn was based on a minister named Joseph Harvey Waggoner’s first-person account of the 1833 storm while traveling from Florida to New Orleans.
Hundreds of thousands of meteors per hour fell during that renowned shower. It was the first modern meteor storm to be officially documented.
Leonid meteors from the EarthSky Community
The Leonids will be seen in 2022 on November 17 from late in the evening till moonrise. At dawn, the radiant point is at its maximum altitude after rising after midnight. November 16 is the day of the last quarter moon. Thus, from the time Leo starts to rise just before midnight until the fat waning crescent moon rises, there will be a brief window of darkness.
*The American Meteor Society forecasts the peak times and dates for meteor showers in 2022. The peak timings for meteor showers might change.
Which way does the constellation Leo face in November?
The meteors are emitted from the eastward direction of the Leo constellation. The meteors would appear short if one looked directly at their point of origin in Leo. In order to view the lengthy and vibrant streaks that meteors leave behind as they pass by, it is therefore advisable to look away from the constellation and across the entire area of the sky. They seem all over the sky because they spread out from Leo in all directions.
This year, 8 to 15 meteors should be visible on average every hour. As the meteors burn up in the Earth’s atmosphere, the Leonids are especially well-known for their vivid and colorful streaks.
I want to see the Leonid meteor shower, but where should I look?
The lion constellation Leo is home to the radiant, or point of origin, of the Leonid meteors. The lion constellation Leo (opens in new tab), from which its meteors appear to come, is the source of the Leonid meteor shower. Cooke noted that you may watch the spectacle from almost any angle.
When is the November 2021 meteor shower?
It is most likely that the shower will produce its brightest displays just before dawn, when its radiant point is highest, at around 06:00 PST, since the radiant point culminates (reaches its highest point in the sky) after dawn.
Los Angeles is now facing the direction of the approaching meteors in the best possible way thanks to the Earth’s rotation, maximizing the amount of meteors that fall vertically downward and leave behind brief tails around the radiant point. The number of meteors burning up above Los Angeles will be lower at other times, but those that do will have a tendency to reach the atmosphere at an oblique angle, creating long-lived meteors that may travel across a large portion of the sky before disappearing entirely.
The finest displays may be witnessed before dawn on November 17, 2021, as the shower is anticipated to reach its peak activity about 10:00 PST.
Where is Leo at this moment?
Imagine the asterism as a pan with a slightly bent handle once you’ve located the Plough. The two stars that make up the edge of the pan that is furthest from the handle are Merak and Dubhe.
The pointer star on the bottom will be Merak if the pan seems to be upright to you (with the handle protruding from the top of the pan). The backward question mark, popularly known as the Sickle, in Leo can be found by following Dubhe to Merak and continuing in that direction.
Just look around Leo to see whether you’ve located it if you’re unsure. Leo is situated between the constellation Gemini, whose bright stars Castor and Pollux are easily identifiable, and Arcturus, a star in the Bootes constellation. You can locate Arcturus by following the Plough’s arc (see diagram above).
Looking for astronomy advice? Visit our comprehensive astronomy for beginners UK guide.
Where in the sky is Leo right now?
One of the 13 zodiac constellations with the best visibility is Leo the lion. Start by locating the prominent star Regulus, then locate The Sickle, a peculiar collection of stars that resembles a backwards question mark. The Lion’s mane is represented by this design. In Greek mythology, Leo stood in for the ferocious Nemean Lion that Heracles, the heroic hero of Greece, slew.
From the perspective of the Northern Hemisphere, the Lion appears in the early evening sky around the March equinox and is a fair-weather companion.
Leo the Lion can be seen as soon as night falls and is visible until the early hours of the morning, making late March, April, and May excellent months for this task. Keep in mind that you’re looking for a pattern of reversed question marks. The brightest star in Leo, Regulus, is a brilliant blue-white beauty that may be found at the base of the shape of a reversed question mark. Regulus shows the heart of the lion.
The lion’s hindquarters and tail are represented by a triangle of stars in eastern Leo. Denebola, an Arabic word that means the Lion’s Tail, is the name of the triangle’s brightest star.
Like other stars, those in Leo rise and set in the same location in the sky at intervals of around four minutes each day or about two hours per month. Around 10 p.m. local time (11 p.m. local daylight saving time) in early April, the constellation Leo reaches its highest peak for the night and begins to set below the western horizon (5 a.m. local daylight saving time). Leo reaches its peak for the night at 8 p.m. local time around about May 1. (9 p.m. local daylight saving time). Also in early May, at around 2 a.m. local time, the majestic Lion starts to set in the west (3 a.m. daylight saving time). By June, Leo will be descending in the west at dusk.
Even while Leo moves steadily westward in the early evening sky over the course of the months, the Lion can still be seen until July. The Lion starts to disappear into the distance by late July or early August. The sun will be in front of Leo from around August 10 through September 16. In late September or October, the constellation makes a comeback to the eastern morning sky.
Leo the Lion is always visible if you are familiar with the Big Dipper star pattern or asterism. The Big Dipper in March appears to be standing on its handle in the northeastern sky at dusk. When it gets dark in April, look higher in the northeast sky for the Big Dipper, and when it gets dark in May, look higher in the north, above Polaris, the North Star, for the almost-upside-down Big Dipper. Then, locate the Big Dipper’s two pointer stars, or the two outside stars in the bowl of the constellation. The North Star, Polaris, is indicated by a line drawn between these stars that extends northward. The line points toward the stars in Leo in the other direction.
To gain a sense of the telescopic riches that are contained within the borders of this constellation, look at the chart above.
When the atmosphere is stable, a tiny telescope can see the double star Algieba or Leonis. A tumultuous, rather than a stable, environment is indicated by the stars’ erratic twinkling. On the other hand, if the stars are hardly flashing or not at all, try your luck using a telescope to separate Algieba, which seems to the unaided eye to be a single star, into its two bright component stars.
M65 and M66, a pair of closely related galaxies in Leo, also offer a tempting focus for the telescope. You might be able to view both M65 and M66 in one field of view with a low-powered telescope.
The sun has traditionally been linked to Leo the Lion. Because the sun rose in front of Leo at the time of the annual flooding of the Nile River, the lifeblood of this agricultural nation, the ancient Egyptians held Leo in the highest regard.
It is believed that the numerous fountains with lion heads created by Greek and Roman architects represent the life-giving waters produced by the sun’s position in Leo.
Leo, one of the three fire signs of the Zodiac, is the sun’s sign.
Leo the Lion is a character in many tales. The first labor of Heracles (also known as Hercules) with the infamous Nemean Lion and the Roman author Ovid’s depiction of the tragic love story between Pyramus and Thisbe are arguably the two more well-known stories.
In conclusion, Leo the Lion begins to show in the evening sky in late March and is one of the easiest zodiacal constellations to locate. It is linked to Greek mythology’s Nemean lion.
How can I locate the Leonid meteor?
On any clear night with a dimly lit Moon, the showers are visible. The site for the viewing should ideally be free of light pollution, and the further away from a city the better. City, state, and national parks are frequently excellent spots to view meteor showers, according to the website EarthSky.
Is tonight the Leonid meteor shower?
Every year in November, the Leonid meteor shower is visible, peaking around November 17 or 18. The meteor shower is known as the Leonids because the constellation Leo is where its radiant, or the place in the sky where the meteors appear to emanate from, is located.
What is the November meteor shower?
The Leonids have consistently been among the best meteor showers skywatchers can see. Peak rates of 10 to 15 meteors per hour are normal for observers in November. The display occasionally improves; on average every 33 years, the Leonids have been seen to produce 1,000 or more meteors per hour. This won’t occur once more until 2034, though.
The Northern Hemisphere constellation Leo appears to be the source of the particles that make up the Leonid shower. Comet Tempel-Tuttle, which is exploding as it orbits the sun on a regular basis and has its ices melting from the heat, is the cause of the meteor shower. Meteors flash through the atmosphere when Earth plows through the enormous amount of debris it leaves behind.
When will the meteor shower be most visible tonight?
up there! Meteors during a meteor shower can occur everywhere, not just close to their radiant. (The radiant is the point in the sky where, as seen from Earth, the courses of meteors in a meteor shower appear to originate. For instance, the constellation Leo is the radiant for the Leonids, while the constellation Perseus is for the Perseid meteor shower.) Several significant meteor showers can be observed from viewing locations on Earth in both hemispheres, however depending on how high above or below the horizon the radiant is located, some may be better viewed in one or the other. For instance, the Ursids are practically only seen in the Northern Hemisphere since the radiant is too far north of the equator to be visible there.
- A meteor shower occurs when? See the graph above for further “date of maximum, which details each meteor shower’s apex (when the shooting stars will be most frequent). Depending on where in Earth’s orbit it crosses the stream of meteoroids, each shower has a specific time of year.
- When will the meteor showers be visible? For the ideal viewing period, refer to the graph above. In almost all showers, the radiant is at its highest shortly before dawn, although you can see most meteors head-on at any time between midnight and dawn for a more frequent display. Your position on the globe revolves around to the forward-facing half of Earth around midnight (in relation to the direction of orbit). Your position on the globe faces the Earth’s orbital direction in the exact same direction at sunrise.
- Because Gemini appears just a few hours after nightfall, the Geminid meteor shower is visible all night long; the radiant is brightest soon after midnight.
- Where do you look? Between the radiant and the zenith is the ideal starting point (straight above you in the sky). (Once more, the radiant appears to be the origin of the meteors.) View the “origin mentioned above.
- How do you look? No specialized tools are required. Binoculars do not, in fact, perform well for meteor showers. Your best instrument is your own sight!