Look up! Leonid meteor shower will peak this weekend - Here's when and where to watch

Leonid Meteor Shower 2023: Celestial treat on the way! The annual Leonid meteor shower will reach its peak this weekend, offering a treat to the eyes of skygazers. As per NASA, the celestial shower of bright lights is expected to peak early Saturday morning. So, grab a cosy blanket and spend the nighton your balcony to witness nature’s magic.

Each year, a couple of meteor showers occur from time to time. The month of November is time for the Leonids, which are generated from the debris left by Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, which revolves around the sun once every 33 years.

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Leonid meteor shower: Nature’s magic

The Leonids are usually bright meteors and the shooting stars can even be colourful, according to NASA. They are also some of the fastest meteors, travelling at blistering speeds of around 44 miles per second, the space agency said.

The Leonid meteor shower occurs every year in November, as Earth passes through trails of debris from Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. The comet was discovered twice independently — once in 1865 by Ernst Tempel and again in 1866 by Horace Tuttle, hence the name.

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This year, the Leonid meteor shower started on Nov 3 and is expected to last till Dec 2. But the Leonids will reach their peak this Saturday. If conditions are clear, one can also catch a nice display before dawn Friday or late at night that same day.

Best time to watch Leonid meteor shower

The best time to see Leonid meteors will be early on the morning of Nov 18, an hour or two before sunrise. At this time, Leo the Lion will be the highest in the eastern sky. Leo the Lion contains all the radiance for the shower.

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Between 1:00 am and 4:00 am (local time) Saturday morning, much of the Midwest and parts of the South-eastern United States will have clearer skies, but residents of the West and East coasts will have less visibility of the sky due to rain and cloud cover, according to early forecasts by the National Weather Service.

(With inputs from agencies)