The Leonid meteor shower peaks as the supermoon wanes

By CHRISTINA LARSON

WASHINGTON (AP) — It’s a dainty to spot a supermoon. But that agleam glowing orb volition inactive beryllium astir afloat erstwhile the Leonid meteor shower peaks this weekend, apt obscuring each but the brightest meteors successful astir locations.

The Leonids are known for their high-speed meteors, which tin question astatine up to 44 miles per 2nd (70 kilometers per second).

“Unfortunately this year, the viewing conditions volition beryllium affected” by a astir afloat moon, said Shyam Balaji of King’s College London. “Watching during the aboriginal greeting hours, erstwhile the satellite is little successful the sky, tin amended your chances of seeing much meteors.”

This ablution whitethorn effect successful astir 15 disposable meteors per hr nether perfect viewing conditions.

This year’s highest enactment connected Sunday volition hap erstwhile the satellite is 98% full. The ablution lasts done December 2.

Here’s what to cognize astir the Leonids and different meteor showers.

What is simply a meteor shower?

Multiple meteor showers hap annually and you don’t request peculiar instrumentality to spot them.

Most meteor showers originate from the debris of comets. The root of the Leonids is the comet Tempel-Tuttle.

When rocks from abstraction participate Earth’s atmosphere, the absorption from the aerial makes them precise hot. This causes the aerial to glow astir them and concisely leaves a fiery process down them — the extremity of a “shooting star.”

The glowing pockets of aerial astir fast-moving abstraction rocks, ranging from the size of a particulate particle to a boulder, whitethorn beryllium disposable successful the nighttime sky.

How to presumption a meteor shower

Meteor showers are usually astir disposable betwixt midnight and predawn hours.

It’s easier to spot shooting stars nether acheronian skies, distant from metropolis lights. Meteor showers besides look brightest connected cloudless nights erstwhile the satellite wanes smallest.

And your eyes volition amended adapted to seeing meteors if you aren’t checking your phone.

When is the adjacent meteor shower?

The meteor nine keeps an updated database of upcoming ample meteor showers, including the highest viewing days and moonlight conditions.

The adjacent large 1 is the Geminid meteor shower, which peaks successful mid-December.

The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives enactment from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely liable for each content.