Leonids Meteor Shower 2022: Important Facts Leonid could deliver extra bright meteors & fireballs on 17 - 18 November 2022
Leonids, which peak during mid-November each year, are regarded as a major shower. Leonid meteor shower in 2022 will peak on November 17–18 between midnight and dawn.
The Leonids are colorful and bright meteors. One of the fastest meteors, Leonids travel at speeds of 44 miles (71 kilometers) per second.
The Leonid meteor shower is associated with the Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle.The Leonids meteor shower is also well renowned for its Fireballs & Earth-grazer meteors.
Fireballs are larger explosions of light and color that can persist longer than an average meteor streak. Fireballs are also brighter, with magnitudes brighter than -3.
Earth-grazers are meteors that streak close to the horizon and are known for their long and colorful tails.
The beautiful streaks we see in the night sky can actually be caused by particles as small as a grain of sand!
Storms produced by Leonids
The Leonids produce meteor "storms" about every 33 years (during the period of Comet Tempel-Tuttle) when hundreds or even thousands of shooting stars can be seen.
A meteor storm versus a shower is defined as having at least 1,000 meteors per hour. Storms like this were seen in 1799, 1833, 1866, 1966, and 1999-2001.
This means that spectators on Earth may witness a Leonid storm around every 33 years, which might peak with hundreds to thousands of meteors seen per hour depending on the viewer's location.
Superb Storm -With an estimated 100,000 meteors per hour, the 1833 storm was especially spectacular.
In 1966, viewers witnessed a superb Leonid storm, in which thousands of meteors per minute fell through Earth's atmosphere during a 15-minute period. There were so many meteors visible that it looked like rain was falling.
The 1999-2001 storms produced roughly 3000 meteors per hour. The most recent Leonid meteor storm occurred in 2002.
Comet of Origin - 55P/Tempel-TuttleThe pieces of space debris that interact with our atmosphere to produce the Leonids, originate from comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle.
Comet of Origin - 55P/Tempel-TuttleAt speeds of up to 70 km/s, cometary debris enters the atmosphere of our planet.
Comet of Origin - 55P/Tempel-TuttleTempel-Tuttle is a small comet, its nucleus measures only about 2.24 miles across. Comet Tempel-Tuttle completes one orbit of the sun in 33 years.
Radiant Constellation - LeoA radiant is a point where the meteors seem to stream from.
The Leonid meteor shower is named from that radiant, which is at the head or "sickle" of the constellation Leo the Lion.
Radiant Constellation - LeoIf you follow the meteors' path, you can observe that they appear to have come from a point in the constellation Leo, hence the name.
RadiantIt rises at about midnight and is at its highest at dawn. The Leonids are visible across the night sky, so you shouldn't limit your viewing to the constellation of Leo.
RadiantIn fact, it is better to view the Leonids from a distance rather than close to the radiant since they will appear longer and more spectacular from this perspective.
Active (Duration of the Leonids Meteor Shower) -November 3 to December 2, 2022 (Peak - 18 November 2022, Friday)
Active (Duration of the Leonids Meteor Shower) -In 2022, the Leonid meteor shower will peak on 17–18 November between midnight and dawn.
Peak Activity Meteor Count -Approximately 15 meteors per hour.Meteor Velocity -44 miles (71 kilometers) per second