Leonid produces fewer meteors than many other major meteor showers, but they are known Produces fast-moving, bright, fireball meteors.
Leonid peaks just before the new moon – the morning of November 18th, the moon is just right 6% is illuminated And in the eastern US, it doesn’t rise to the surrounding area 5am On November 17th, there will be plenty of time to see this meteor shower under perfect viewing conditions.
Leonid’s radiation is the constellation Leo, which rises around midnight local time and is the best in the sky around dawn.
Geminid (December)
The Geminid will be active from December 4th to December 17th and peak overnight from December 13th to December 14th. They have sharp peaks, so the evening of the 13th is the perfect time for skywatching.
Geminid is the most spectacular meteor shower of the year. In addition to boasting up to 120 or 150 meteors per hour at peak times, this meteor shower is also the brightest and most colorful of the year.
Geminids are bright, slow moving meteors, often with yellow tones, but in other colour ranges such as green, blue, white, red, and orange. And unlike most meteors caused by comet debris, Geminid is a remnant of an asteroid.
Geminid peaks, their glow, and the constellation Gemini cross the horizon all night and reach its highest point around 2am local time, so you can see meteors almost all night.
That same night, the moon will be about 32% are illuminated And it rises 1:30am In the eastern US, if you see this shower right after midnight, the moonlight will not interfere with your viewing experience.
ursids (December)
Urcid will be active from December 17th to December 26th and peak in the early morning hours of December 22nd. This meteor shower is less active than in other times and usually produces around 10 meteors per hour. However, the viewing conditions are ideal for skywatching. The meteor shower will not hinder the moonlight as the moon will be set at around 6pm on the 21st in the eastern US.
Ursid usually produces the most meteors just before dawn, but when its radiation, Little Dipper (or Ursaminer), is the highest in the sky, you can see meteors all night long during this shower peak. At northern latitudes, urcid radiation is above the horizon all night long.
Showers to watch next year
Quadrantids (January)
Quadranacidosis takes place in December and January and peaks in the first week of the year. This meteor shower has sharp peaks. That is, most of that activity occurs in tight windows of time. Squares usually have up to 120 meteors per hour during peak showers, producing many fireball fluids, or very bright meteors.
The radiation of Quadrantids is the constellation Quadrans Muralis, but the International Astronomical Union no longer recognizes this group of stars as constellations. That location is a constellation bootie next to a large dipper.
