Leonid meteor shower expected to wow stargazers on 17 November

13 November 2009

The annual Leonid meteor shower will be peaking in the hours before dawn on 17 November. Most observers from dark locations away from light pollution hope to see a meteor every few minutes during this peak of activity.

Earlier in the year estimates were given of over 500 shooting stars per hour, but this is now thought to be overly optimistic. Still, current predictions indicate that it will be a good year to see the Leonids, especially as the Moon will not be visible, helping to preserve dark skies so that fainter shooting stars are still visible.

Finding a dark site will help observers make the most of this spectacle. No special equipment is necessary - simply sit back and look up, in a generally easterly direction. Be sure to wrap up warm and let others know where you will be. Ideally, go meteor watching with a group of like-minded friends.

The BBC's Sky At Night Magazine have released a special video Q&A about the Leonid meteor shower, to tell people what the they are and how, when and where to see them: http://www.youtube.com/user/bbcskyatnightmag

High-resolution images and high-definition video animation of the Leonid meteor shower are available online at StarDate's Media Center: http://stardate.org/mediacenter/2009-leonid-meteor-shower.html

For a technical prediction of activity, please see: http://feraj.narod.ru/Radiants/Predictions/Leonids2009eng.html

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