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The annual Leonid meteor shower will kick off the weekend with a flurry of shooting stars, an event that has a rich history dating back to the 1800s.
The upcoming weekend will kick off with another opportunity to spot shooting stars in the night sky as one of the last meteor showers of 2023 unfolds in the heavens.
Friday night into Saturday morning will be the best night for viewing the annual Leonids, the last meteor shower before the start of meteorological winter on Dec. 1.
A typical showing is expected this year, but the Leonids have a rich history, including one of the most captivating celestial sights that takes place only once in a generation.
What will the Leonid meteor shower be like this year?
Onlookers with a clear sky on Friday night can expect to see around 15 meteors per hour on peak night, a typical rate for many meteor showers throughout the year.
Activity will start off slow but will gradually increase as the night progresses with the frequency of shooting stars rising after midnight, local time.
The Leonids should remain active throughout the weekend, so stargazers who find themselves under a cloudy sky early in the weekend will have the opportunity to spot meteors on Saturday night and Sunday night if cloud conditions improve.
A handful of meteors associated with the recent North Taurids may also overlap with the Leonids, increasing the chances of spotting an incredibly bright fireball.
The night meteors fell like raindrops
Every November, the Earth passes through a field of debris left behind by Comet Tempel-Tuttle to spark the Leonid meteor shower. About once every 33 years, the comet passes close to the sun and spreads a fresh, dense trail of debris that sets the stage for an outburst of shooting stars akin to a fairy tale or Hollywood film.
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A burst of 1999 Leonid meteors as seen at 38,000 feet from Leonid Multi Instrument Aircraft Campaign (Leonid MAC) with 50 mm camera. Credit: NASA/Ames Research Center/ISAS/Shinsuke Abe and Hajime Yano
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