Throughout the year the earth revolves around the sun, passing through currents of cosmic debris. The resulting meteor showers can illuminate the night sky from evening to morning, and if you’re lucky you’ll be able to catch a glimpse.
The next fountain you can see is known as Leonids. Active from Nov. 6 to Nov. 30.30, it is likely to be at its peak from Monday night to Tuesday morning or Nov. 16-17.
Leonids is one of the brightest meteor showers and produces meteor storms every few decades where more than 1,000 meteors can be seen in an hour. Cross your fingers for some good luck – the last time the Leonids were strong was in 2002. Its parent comet is called Comet-Temple / Tuttle and it orbits the Sun every 33 years.
The best you can expect this year is about 15 streaks per hour. But conditions could be favorable, according to the International Meteorological Organization The moon is far from complete.
[Sign up to get reminders for space and astronomy events on your calendar.]
Where meteors fall
If you see a meteor shower, what you usually see is the remnants of an icy comet that collapses into the Earth’s atmosphere. Comets are like dirty snowballs: as they travel through the solar system, they leave traces of rocks and ice dust that remain in space long after their departure. As the Earth passes through these cascades of comet debris, fragments of debris – which can be as small as grains of sand – pierce the sky at such a speed that they explode, creating celestial fireworks displays.
The general rule of thumb with meteor showers: You never see the Earth cross in the remnants of a comet’s latest orbit. Instead, the burning bits come from the back pass. For example, during the Persid meteor shower you will see meteors coming out of its parent comet, the comet Swift-Tuttle, not from its most recent pass in 1992, but from 182 or earlier.
This is because it moves from the comet’s orbit to the debris in a position where it intersects with the Earth’s orbit. Bill Cook, Astronomer with NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office fee.
How to watch
The best way to see a meteor shower is to get to a place that has a clear view of the night sky. Ideally, it would be somewhere with a dark sky away from city lights and traffic. To maximize your chances of catching the show, find a venue that offers a wide, unobstructed view.
Pieces of bits and meteor showers are visible for a certain period of time, but they are invariably at their peak from evening to morning on a given few days. The days when the Earth’s orbit passes through the largest part of the cosmic current. Meteor showers can vary in their peak times, some reaching their maximum for several hours and some for other nights. Fountains after midnight and after. Most visible before.
It is best to use your naked eye to see a meteor shower. Binoculars or telescopes limit your field of view. You have to spend about half an hour in the dark to let your eyes light up. Stargazers should be warned that moonlight and weather can obscure the show. But if that happens, there are usually live streams of meteorites Powered by NASA And By Sloh.
This International Meteorological Organization List of various meteor showers to be seen in 2020. Or you can get more information about some of the rains this year that are likely to appear below:
Freelance twitter maven. Infuriatingly humble coffee aficionado. Amateur gamer. Typical beer fan. Avid music scholar. Alcohol nerd.
