November Shooting Stars

With November comes the Leonid meteor shower. The 2021 Leonids will be a reasonably
laid-back affair with the early morning opportunity to observe shooting stars between November 6 to 30. The peak display will be the morning of November 17.

The meteors originate when the orbital path of the earth collides with the debris left behind by
comets. These bits and pieces of comet detritus enter the earth’s atmosphere with the resulting vaporization creating the streaks of light we call meteors.

The debris associated with the comet Tempel-Tuttle results in this November display. Like other meteor showers, this one will be best viewed after midnight. Turn your gaze toward the
constellation Leo the Lion, where the shooting stars appear to emanate.

The 2021 Leonids are a moderate meteor shower with a peak display of about 10-15 meteors per hour. Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo the Lion, dots a backwards question mark of stars known as the Sickle. If you trace all the “shooting stars” from the Leonid meteor shower backward, they appear to radiate from this area of the sky.  Interference of moonlight may wash-out many of the meteors visible in a darker sky. Nevertheless, a dark rural location with minimal light pollution may yield good results.

Tempel-Tuttle is a periodic visitor that will return in 2031.  it is worthy of mention that the Leonids can be stunning on rare occasions. With the reappearance of Tempel-Tuttle every 33 years the debris left in its wake can result in meteors up to a rate of 1000 an hour! 2001 was a very good November and 1966 was breathtaking.

The best time for observation is just before dawn after the moon has set. 

Fingers-crossed for cold, clear viewing conditions and early rising if you have to get out of bed to pee.....