While waiting for the next full moon in November, astronomy fans can enjoy one of fall’s most magical astronomical phenomena: the Leonid meteor shower. The meteors are visible between November 6th and 30th every year, but their Peak times tend to vary and this year’s are just around the corner.
Although its activity rate is much more modest than the PerseidsYes, they can be hunted with the naked eye in areas where visibility is better and it will be a good year, according to experts. Normally this meteor shower has one On average between 10 and 20 meteors per hourBut every 33 years, coinciding with Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle’s passage through the perihelion of its orbit, the Leonids release spectacular meteor storms that reach a frequency of thousands of meteors per hour.
In this sense, 2023 will be a good year for observing the Leonids, according to the National Geographic Institute, as the time of maximum activity will occur four days after the new moon. NASA estimates they will be visible 15 to 20 meteors per houraccording to NASA.
When can you see the Leonids?
The night of Friday 17th to Saturday 18th November The maximum observation peak of the Leonid meteor shower will occur. In addition, there will be some hours in which You will be able to see more meteors than usual and this moment will be in between 1:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. on Saturday morning.
The Radiant One, the point in the sky from which they appear to go, is the constellation Leo, hence the name. In reality, the Leonids are the remnants of Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. As Earth passes through the clouds of dust debris left behind by this comet, we can observe this phenomenon. The Earth is in the process of passing through these clouds.
How to see the Leonids?
Unlike other astronomical events such as solar eclipses, this type of phenomenon can be observed naked eye But the lighting of the observation site will be crucial. It can be any region of Spain, but this is important The sky is dark and free from light pollution. In addition, it is recommended that the observation be carried out from a location where this is the case few obstacles to the view (e.g. buildings, trees or mountains) and do not use optical instruments that limit our field of vision. Although the Leonids come from the constellation Leo (hence their name), they can be seen all over the sky, but it is best to focus on the constellation Leo darker areas, in the opposite direction to the moon.
