An annual meteor shower known for its fast movement and explosions of color that persist longer than average will peak this weekend, though experts say the shower’s peak won’t reach a maximum until just before the next century.
The meteors are considered some of the fastest to appear each year.
The Leonids have been active since Nov. 3 and will persist until Dec. 2, though the meteor shower will peak the night of Nov. 16, according to the American Meteor Society.
The meteor shower is caused by debris from the Comet Tempel-Tuttle, which takes about 33 years to orbit the sun while leaving behind debris trails that interact with the Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in “explosions of light and color,” according to NASA.
Meteors during the Leonid shower are considered to be some of the fastest to appear each year, NASA said, as they travel at about 44 miles per second across the night sky, and they are known for their fireballs—caused by larger debris—that are often brighter and leave behind “long and colorful tails.”
Comet-Tempel Tuttle—just over 2 miles wide—releases more debris as it completes its 33-year-long orbit of the sun, resulting in hundreds of thousands of meteors to be seen per hour—though the American Meteor Society believes the comet won’t release another “meteor storm” until at least 2099.
Comet Tempel-Tuttle was discovered independently twice, according to NASA: Ernst Tempel in 1865 and Horace Tuttle in 1866.
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NASA recommends traveling to a dark location, lying down and waiting at least 30 minutes for your eyes to adjust to the darkness.
Meteors will appear across the night sky, though they will appear brighter closer to the Leo constellation, which can be seen by turning toward the East.
The Leonids are best seen starting at about midnight local time and will persist into the early morning, NASA said.
Three other meteor showers will appear this year, including the Geminids, Ursids and Quadrantids, according to the American Meteor Society. Earlier this month, a pair of Taurid meteor showers—known for their slower speeds and long-lasting streaks—crossed over the night sky, featuring what NASA called “Halloween fireballs” caused by debris from Comet Encke. More celestial events are expected this week, with this year’s last supermoon—appearing about 14% larger than the average full moon—emerging on Friday. Auroral activity is also projected to reach its peak, with activity on the sun hitting a “solar maximum” that will last through early 2026, according to NASA.