BIG WEEKEND FOR SKYWATCHERS

(11/16/2019)

This is a big weekend for skywatchers. The annual Leonid meteor shower peaks Sunday night into Monday morning, NASA says. That means 10 to 15 bright meteors an hour, if this is a typical year, according to scientists. The moon may be a problem this time around. It was a full moon Monday, and it’s still pretty bright. Because of that, the shooting stars will be harder to spot. The experts say the best time to watch is between midnight and dawn. Bill Cooke at NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center suggests going to a location away from city lights, lying flat on your back and looking straight up for best meteor viewing. No special viewing equipment is needed, just your eyes. Leonid meteors appear to originate from the constellation Leo. That’s where the name Leonid comes from. These meteors are pea- and sand-sized bits of dust and debris left behind by the Tempel-Tuttle comet. It last crossed Earth’s orbit in 1998 and will be back again in 2031. The dust and debris light up when it hits the atmosphere.

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