Overview
- The maximum occurs overnight Nov. 17–18, with the prime viewing window in the pre-dawn hours of Nov. 18 when the constellation Leo is highest.
- Under dark-sky conditions, observers can expect roughly 10 meteors per hour at the peak, according to Uwe Pilz of the Vereinigung der Sternfreunde.
- Forecasts call for a low-pressure system bringing cloud, rain and patchy fog across central Germany, especially over Saxony and Thuringia, with occasional clear gaps possible in Saxony-Anhalt.
- Choose a dark rural site, avoid light pollution, and allow 20–30 minutes for eyes to adapt, and be prepared for temperatures near freezing at night.
- The Leonids come from dust shed by comet 55P/Tempel‑Tuttle and produce very fast meteors around 72 km/s, with rare storm-level displays on a roughly 33-year cycle and the next possible strong year noted for 2031.