Overview
- The annual Leonids will be active November 6–30 with the highest activity forecast for the night of November 17–18.
- The shower is visible from both hemispheres, with pre‑dawn viewing favored as Leo rises after midnight and climbs highest near dawn.
- Australian guidance lists peak‑night windows such as Brisbane 1–5 a.m., Sydney/Melbourne/Canberra/Hobart 3–6 a.m., Perth 2–5 a.m., Adelaide 3:30–5:30 a.m., and Darwin 1:30–6:30 a.m.
- Under dark skies with no moon, estimates suggest roughly 10–15 meteors per hour at peak; experts advise finding a dark site and allowing about 20 minutes for eyes to adjust.
- The Leonids come from debris shed by Comet Tempel–Tuttle, which orbits about every 33 years (last seen in 1998, returning in 2031), and are famed for rare outbursts such as the 1966 storm; the more prolific Geminids are due in mid‑December.