INDIA: The Leonid meteor shower is set to light up the night’s sky in the early hours of Friday.
Every November, the Leonid meteor shower, known for releasing some of the fastest meteors, appears. Leonid meteors travel close to our horizon, and are hence termed ‘Earth-grazers’.
Because of the meteor storm that comes every 33 years and sends hundreds of meteors crashing to Earth, they are regarded as among the most stunning meteor showers ever seen by humans.
Although there won’t be any showers this year, there are still plenty of opportunities to observe the magnificent Leonids.
The showers will peak on Thursday night at 6 p.m. CT, according to EarthSky. The celestial event will be visible to everyone who is at that time on the night side of the globe.
The North Taurid meteor shower and the Leonid meteor shower are both active through December 2. At its best, skywatchers can observe 10 to 15 meteors every hour.
Because they move in the opposite direction from the way the Earth rotates, meteors almost literally strike head-on into the atmosphere.
The space rocks are commonly seen moving through the sky at 44 miles per second (71 kilometers per second), making them some of the quickest meteors to originate from one of the crucial seasonal meteor showers, claims Robert Lunsford. He organizes the American Meteor Society’s fireball report.
Lunsford asserts that the more brilliant meteors frequently leave glowing trails in their wake and occasionally even smoke streaks in the sky that can continue for several minutes.
According to NASA, the Leonid meteor shower is also distinguished by spectacular fireballs, meteors that are so massive they glow brighter than Venus, and Earth grazers. These meteors streak near the horizon and are distinguished by their long, luminous tails.
The forecast for Thursday evening, around this peak, will be mostly clear skies on the United States coasts (New York City and Los Angeles) with a 0% chance of rain, according to Allison Chinchar, a CNN meteorologist.
Those in the Midwest (Chicago) will have less favorable conditions for sky watching, with overcast skies and a 30% chance of snow.
Also Read: Orionid Meteor Shower: The Earth’s Encounter with Halley’s Comet
