Ithacans and Cornellians will be able to observe the annual Leonids meteor shower this Saturday, Nov. 16. This shower is called “Leonids” because the meteors appear to emerge from within the constellation Leo.
The Leonid meteor shower is annually active throughout the month of November, generally peaking around Nov. 17 or 18. This year, it will peak on Nov. 16 and 17 and can be seen from the Northern Hemisphere. This Saturday, the weather is predicted to be partly cloudy in the evening, with more clouds later at night.
A meteor is a rock from outer space that enters Earth’s atmosphere. The heat generated as the rock falls creates a bright streak, appearing as a “shooting star.”
These space rocks are released by comets as they orbit the sun, leaving a trail of debris behind them. When Earth passes through the orbit of a comet, the debris collides with Earth’s atmosphere, creating meteor showers.
The Leonids meteor shower is caused by Tempel-Tuttle, a small comet that completes a full orbit of the sun every 33 years.
The Leonids meteor shower was first recorded in 902 A.D. While the Leonids meteor shower is fairly weak with a lower shower rate of around 15 meteors per hour, they are known to produce some of the fastest and most colorful meteors, reaching speeds of 44 miles per second.
Aside from the annual shower, a Leonids storm occurs about every 33 years. A meteor storm is more intense than a meteor shower, with hundreds to thousands of meteors per hour. However, meteor storms are inconsistent and often occur outside of this time frame. The last recorded storm was in 2002.
Viewers do not need special equipment or skills to view the meteor shower. To maximize the viewing experience, sky-watchers should find a secluded viewing spot away from city lights.
“Because [Leonids is] a fairly weak shower, getting off campus is the best bet,” said Erik Payton ’25, president of Cornell Astronomical Society. “Cornell has the Hartung-Boothroyd Observatory up Mount Pleasant. It’s not a public observatory to go in, but it’s a popular stargazing spot for a lot of students. If you can get off campus, going there would make sense. Otherwise, getting as much away from light pollution as you can is the biggest thing.”
Andrew Lewis ’27, Vice President of the Cornell Astronomical Society recommended the Fuertes Observatory as the prime pick for seeing the meteors on campus.
“If you’re on campus, the best place is probably here at the Fuertes Observatory,” Lewis said. “It’s rather noticeable — once you step off the street and onto the observatory grounds, you can see a significant amount more stars.”
In December, Cornellians can look forward to the Geminids shower, which has a higher shower rate.
“The Leonids meteor shower has around 15 per hour on average, but the Geminids is 120 per hour,” said Lewis. “On Dec. 14, you’ll be able to see meteors in the sky just by chance, and are more likely to see meteors then, rather than the upcoming November shower.”
Andrea Kim can be reached at [email protected].