When the Leonid meteor shower peaks at about 3 a.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 19, Colorado skywatchers may be in for a great show, according to Doug Duncan of the University of Colorado at Boulder's Fiske Planetarium.
The Leonid meteors are part of the debris trail from the comet Tempel-Tuttle in its 33-year orbit around the sun. Each November the Earth passes through this patchy stream of space dust and sand that makes up the debris trail.
This year a meteor storm consisting of a few hundred to 1,000 or more meteors is possible during the peak in the early morning hours of Nov. 19, according to Duncan, director of Fiske Planetarium. This year's higher than usual level of activity occurs because the Earth will enter a part of the comet's debris trail that is especially thick. The more debris the planet passes through, the better the show for skywatchers, he said.
"The Leonids are also particularly known for being bright meteors," Duncan said. However, this year the moon will be full, and the number of meteors people see will vary depending on how dark the sky is where they are viewing the shower.
The best way to view the meteor shower is with the naked eye, not with a telescope or binoculars, which limit the field of view. This year it also will be helpful to use a building or tree to try to block out some of the moonlight.
Duncan recommends viewing the shower with a group of friends. That way, each person can look at a different part of the sky and alert the others when a meteor is visible. "Go outside around 3 a.m. with a sleeping bag or warm blanket," he said. "Between then and about 4:15 a.m. is when the greatest number of meteors are expected to fall."
The Leonid meteors, named after the constellation Leo, will seem to radiate from the sickle-shaped curve of stars that marks the head of Leo the lion.
Another popular meteor shower is the Perseid, which occurs each year in August.
For more information about the Leonid meteor shower, or meteors in general, visit the CU-Boulder Fiske Planetarium Web site at .