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| Leonid Meteor shower photo courtesy of NASA |
Don’t forget to miss this once in a year moment, where you can enjoy stargazing of the Leonid Meteor shower will peak this
weekend on the night of November 16-17. If you have not seen one, then this is
the time!
Last
October, netizens patiently waited outside their homes in order to witness the peak of the Orionids meteor shower. Others may have suffered neck cramps but having
been able to see a meteor is all worth it. *
The Leonid Meteor shower phenomenon
The
Leonid meteor shower happens when the orbital path of Comet Tempel-Tuttle with
orbital period of 33 years, scatters its orbit with bits of debris and crosses
our Earth’s atmosphere and vaporizes.
In an evening sky, in an absence of moonlight, you can
see up to 10 to 15 meteors per hour during the peak. And even in a moonlight
sky, some of the brighter meteors are still visible.
According
to PAGASA, the Leonid meteor shower is active from November 6-30 and will peak
in the late hours of November 17 until dawn.
The
number of meteors is measured through A zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) of about 15
meteors which might occur during the peak hours of the meteor shower.
Unfortunately, the
waning gibbous Moon will interfere with the observations of fainter meteors, as
per PAGASA.
“The Leonids Meteor
Shower is created by bits of debris left behind by the repeat passages through
the inner solar system of comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle,” PAGASA said.
Where’s the best place to view meteor
showers?
The best place to view the night sky is in high places like in
the mountains or rooftops or the open sky. Less light pollution is also recommended
because too much city or street lights can overshadow the light in the night
sky.
Source: UNTV
