Overview
- Best viewing is after midnight into the pre‑dawn hours of Nov. 17, with a sharp, one‑night peak, according to the American Meteor Society.
- Under clear, dark skies observers can expect roughly 10 to 15 meteors per hour at peak, with lower counts likely where clouds or light pollution intrude.
- The waning crescent Moon is about 9% illuminated, so lunar glare should be minimal and local weather will be the main limiter.
- Leonid meteors come from comet 55P/Tempel‑Tuttle and are among the fastest, striking the atmosphere at about 44 miles per second, sometimes producing bright fireballs and Earth‑grazers.
- Though famous for rare ‘storms,’ the last major outburst was in 2002, and forecasts indicate Earth is unlikely to hit dense debris trails again until 2099.