The Leonids are generated by the interception of our planet with a cloud of debris created by Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. The peak is expected to occur on the night of November 17-18.
- Time interval: 3th of November to 2nd of December
- Peak Intensity [PI]: 17-18 of November
- Lunar State during PI: 23% Full
- Incidence Rate at Zenith during [PI]: 50+ events/hour
55P/Tempel-Tuttle has an orbital period of 33 years. It passed perihelion in 1998 with a new passage expected in 2031. When comets approach the Sun, the heat up and eject debris that accumulates in clouds. If the position of the dust cloud coincides with Earth’s orbit, during the interception of the cloud, the dust penetrates the atmosphere heating up due to air resistance and becomes incandescent creating the “shooting star” phenomenon, known by astronomers as a meteor.
Some models indicate that this year (2023) the Leonids could reach 50+ events per hour at the zenith. The Leonids tend to be bright with a high probability of chain events. The name Leonids is due to the fact that the events radiate from the constellation of Leo.
For more information regarding our sessions see our Astronomical Observations page.