2023 has treated us to numerous celestial spectacles. From this month’s lunar eclipse to September’s harvest moon marking the fourth and final supermoon we witnessed this year, there has been no shortage of shows in the skies above.
In November, yet another celestial spectacle will be visible over Chicago with the Leonid Meteor Shower lasting throughout most of the month and peaking between November 17-18.
What is the Leonid Meteor Shower?
As you may know, meteors, also known as shooting stars, are viewable when Earth crosses the orbit of a comet and its debris enters the atmosphere causing tiny dust trails.
Earth encounters the Leonid Meteor Shower every year when it crosses the orbit of a comet named 55P/Tempel-Tuttle which takes around 33 years to make one orbit around the Sun.
Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle leaves behind a significant trail of debris that vaporizes in the atmosphere and produces one of the best shooting star shows of the year.
The shower is named after the constellation Leo the Lion as the point in the sky where the meteors seem to emerge from lies in the constellation Leo.
Why is the Leonid Meteor Shower significant?
The Leonid Meteor shower is known for producing bright meteors and having a high percentage of persistent trains. It has been hit or miss many years with some years offering up incredible shows and others being fairly lacklustre but the shower is known to always bring around 15 meteors an hour.
On rare occasions, the Leonids have been known to produce “meteor storms,” which result in thousands of meteors streaking across the sky.
The Leonid Meteor Shower is to thank for one of the greatest meteor storms in living memory in 1966 when the Leonid meteors reportedly fell like rain. According to earthsky.org, “rates were as high as thousands of meteors per minute during a 15-minute span on the morning of November 17, 1966.”
Unfortunately, however, a meteor storm of this kind isn’t expected for 2023.
When is the Leonid Meteor Shower?
The dates of major meteor showers do not change much from year to year, though the dates that they are at their peak are not necessarily always the same.
This year the Leonid Meteor Shower is expected to begin on Friday, November 3, and last through Saturday, December 2 peaking from Thursday, November 16 to Saturday, November 18.
According to the Farmer’s Almanac the optimum viewing time will therefore be after midnight on Friday, November 17 in the early dawn hours of Saturday, November 18.
In November 2023, the first quarter moon falls on Monday, November 20 meaning that there will be very little interference from moonlight during the shower’s peak with it 22.7% illuminated.
According to Time and Date, on Friday, November 17 the sun will set at 16:28 before it rises the following day at 06:43.
As the moon will set at 20:06 on Friday, the hours after midnight will be particularly dark far from sunset, sunrise, moonset, and moonrise, consequently offering excellent viewing conditions to witness the shower.
How can I best experience the Leonid Meteor Shower?
Travelling away from busy urban areas to an open secluded viewing spot that isn’t affected by light pollution from city lights is encouraged. Then allow your eyes to adjust to the dark for at least 20 minutes.
You don’t need any special equipment or skills to see the meteors but of course, it is important to dress for the weather given that meteors peak late into the night. Chair, blankets, and anything to help you pass the time in comfort is highly recommended as it can be a waiting game.
While you might have picture-perfect 20/20 vision, you can do yourself one better by coming equipped with binoculars to get a closer look at the interstellar spectacle.
Any photographers out there? According to NASA, your best bet is to use a camera with manual focus on a tripod with a shutter release cable or built-in timer, fitted with a wide-angle lens.
Check out this light pollution map to find a dark sky near you!
[Featured image from Shutterstock]