When it comes to meteor showers, the Leonids are known as one of the best. Famed for its fast and bright fireball meteors, the Leonids aim to put on a show to impress.
And in extraordinary circumstances, the shower can turn into a full-blown storm, launching thousands of meteors an hour past your eyes. While this year isn’t expected to reach storm levels, it is still a spectacle you’ll want to witness. And as the Leonids can be seen with the naked eye, anyone can have a look for them – you won’t be needing binoculars or a telescope.
So, when should you look to the sky? And what should you expect from the Leonid meteor shower this year? We’ve got all of the key information below.
When is the Leonid meteor shower?
The Leonid meteor shower 2024 will hit its peak on the night of 17-18 November. During this time, 10-15 meteors per hour are expected to streak across the night sky.
Although shooting star activity is expected to peak during this period, meteors from the Leonids are expected to be visible up to 30 November.
For best viewing, you will need to find a spot with a dark sky with clear visibility. It will also help to be away from light pollution in major cities or towns. You may find that light from the last supermoon of the year, November’s Beaver Moon, which reaches its peak on 15 November, could interfere with your view.
Where to look to see the Leonids
Pinpointing the origin of the shower can help get good view. The Leonids get their name from Leo the Lion, the constellation they appear to originate from. More specifically, the Leonids originate from a pattern of stars inside the constellation Leo called the Sickle.
To locate the Sickle, first find the Plough, in Ursa Major. This is a distinctive signpost for a lot of astronomical sights (we have a full guide on how to find it).
Turn your attention to the lip of the saucepan in The Plough and locate the two brighter stars, Dubhe and Merek. If you draw an imaginary line between the two, it will point towards Polaris, the North Star and the Sickle in Leo if you head the opposite direction.
Don’t worry too much about tracking down this exact location. The meteors cover a large portion of the sky so your best bet is to take in as much of the sky as possible.
Lying flat on your back and looking up is the best way to take in as much of the sky as possible but, as it’s November and temperatures have been dropping below zero at nighttime in places like the UK, dress up warm or wrap up in a blanket or sleeping bag and find a comfy spot. Be patient and stay a while to allow your eyes to adjust to the dark and give yourself the best chance of catching the Leonids.
Where do the Leonids come from?
Meteor showers occur when Earth passes through an area of space filled with debris left behind by a comet or asteroid as it follows its path around the Sun.
In this case, the offender is Comet Tempel-Tuttle. A relatively small comet, it was discovered twice in separate events. First in 1865 by Ernst Tempel and then in 1866 by Horace Tuttle.
How many Leonid meteors will you see?
The exact number of meteors is hard to pin down. Each year the number changes but the average number is around 15 meteors per hour. This can be much higher in some years, especially if there is a meteor storm.
Every 33 years or so, the shower becomes a storm. It reaches this categorisation when there are at least 1,000 meteors per hour. Back in 1966, viewers experienced a unique Leonids storm with thousands of meteors appearing in a period of just 15 minutes.
A Leonids meteor storm last occurred in 2002 so it’s unlikely there will be a storm in 2024.
These fireballs have long trails tinged with blue and green. While the meteors can be missed, they leave long vapour trains in the sky for a few more minutes that look like smoke rings.
Leonids are also fast and travel at speeds of 71 km/s (44 miles per second), considered to be some of the fastest meteors we can see.
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