Leonids
Also called: November meteors
A fast November shower that is modest most years but has produced some of the most spectacular meteor storms on record.
- Type
- Meteor Showers
- Best season
- Autumn
- Gear
- Naked eye
- When to look
- Peak around November 17–18; best after midnight
- Typical rate
- About 10–15 an hour in a normal year
- Source
- Comet 55P/Tempel–Tuttle
- Radiant
- In Leo, rising in the east after midnight
- Best for
- After midnight, from a dark site
What you will see
- Very fast meteors, some bright with colorful trails.
- Occasional fireballs.
- In a rare storm year, hundreds or thousands an hour.
How to watch
- Get away from city lights to a dark site with a wide view of the sky, and lie back in a reclining chair or on a pad.
- Let your eyes adapt to the dark for 20 to 30 minutes and keep white light and phone screens off.
- Look at the whole sky rather than staring at one spot, since meteors can appear anywhere.
- Watch after midnight, when Leo is high.
- Check forecasts for storm years.
Constellations to know
Field notes
Every 33 years or so, the Leonids can produce storms, as they did in 1833 and 1966. Most years they are modest, but the shower is worth watching.
Related guides
Dates and times repeat from year to year but shift slightly, and the Moon's phase and the planets' positions are different every year. Check a current source such as NASA, the American Meteor Society, or a stargazing app before you plan a night out, and check the weather forecast for clear skies.