Sky show: Leonids peak tonight
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Sky map shows pre dawn sky near Leonid peak.
(Credit: NASA & Spaceweather.com)
It's a good night for clear skies in Minnesota.
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Our clear crisp November sky will provide a perfect viewing opportunity for the annual Leonid meteor shower tonight. The Leonids are usually one of our best meteor showers of the year. Chilly high pressure with temperatures around freezing will make for a chilly but good opportunity to see the "shooting stars" overnight.
Meteor rates are forecast to be between 20 and 30 per hour over most of North America. It looks like the peak rates could come in Asia, where as many as 200 to 300 meteors per hour could dazzle sky watchers.
Leonids occur each year in November when the earth passes through debris from Comet Tempel-Tuttle. Every 33 years the comet visits the inner solar system and leaves a stream of dusty debris in its wake. Whenever we hit one, meteors appear to fly out of the constellation Leo.
The new moon this year will make for excellent dark sky viewing conditions. You may see meteors any time tonight, but the peak hour for viewing in the Midwest should center on 3am.
Enjoy the show!
PH