Leonids Meteor Shower

The waxing gibbous moon will set shortly after midnight, so wait until then to look for meteors. It peaks this year on the night of the 17th and morning of the 18th Here's a bit of history: The Leonids, typically an average shower, occasionally produces extraordinary meteor storms. In 1966, observers witnessed thousands of meteors per minute during a spectacular 15-minute period on November 17. Meteors seemed to fall like rain, all streaming from the constellation Leo the Lion. This event left a lasting impression of Earth moving through space, amidst a dense meteor stream. While Leonid meteor storms recur approximately every 33 to 34 years, recent occurrences haven't matched the intensity of 1966. Usually, the Leonids peak at 10-15 meteors per hour and are most active after midnight, with the highest numbers just before dawn. The Leonids are unique for their roughly 33-year cyclonic peak, with the last major event in 2001. (So maybe mark your calendars for November 2033?) The shower, resulting from dust grains left by comet Tempel-Tuttle, discovered in 1865, runs annually from November 6-30. While meteors radiate from Leo, they can be seen across the sky.