LEONID METEOR SHOWER - 2020

The Leonid meteor showers which peak during mid-November each year are currently making their yearly appearance and will reach their peak in India on November 17 and 18. The Leonids are bright meteors and can also be colorful. They are also fast and some Leonids can travel at speeds of 44 miles (71 kilometers) per second. A meteor storm versus a shower is defined as having at least 1,000 meteors per hour. Viewers on Earth in 1966 experienced a spectacular Leonid storm: thousands of meteors per minute fell through Earth's atmosphere during 15 minutes. There were so many meteors seen that they appeared like rainfall. The last Leonid meteor storm took place in 2002. 

WHAT ARE METEORS?

It is said that meteors come from leftover comet particles and bits from broken asteroids. When comets come around the sun, the dust they release gradually spreads into a dusty trail around their orbits. Every year the Earth passes through these debris traces, which allows the bits to collide with our atmosphere where they disintegrate to create glowing and colorful streaks in the sky.

THE 2020 LEONID

In 2020, these showers are active from November 6th to November 30th. During this year’s showers, peaks of around 10 to 15 meteors are expected to be seen every hour. According to a CNN report, the Leonid showers include fireballs– bright and large meteors that can last longer than average meteors.

BEST WAY TO SEE METEOR SHOWER

Meteors are best seen on a cloudless night, when the whole sky is visible, and when the Moon is not extremely bright. Chances of a successful viewing are higher from areas far away from the lights of cities. Fortunately for stargazers this year, the Leonids will peak when the moon would be less than 5 percent full. The Leonids will be most visible in the Northern Hemisphere, but can also be seen from the Southern Hemisphere. India lies in the Northern Hemisphere So people across the nation will be able to witness the celestial phenomena of Leonid Meteor Shower between midnight and the break of dawn on November 17 and November 18.