The Geminids are the strongest and most beautiful meteor stream of the year, peaking around December 14.Continue reading
A spectacular passing of the Leonid meteor swarm is expected on Nov. 18 and 19, with up to a hundred shooting stars per hour visible in the morning sky, according to the Svábhegyi Observatory in Budapest.
Photo by Georgi Licovszki/MTI/EPA
The Leonid meteor swarm is not usually known for its large number of shooting stars, but it is famous for producing significant bursts every 33 years, the observatory said.
Instead of the usual 15 to 20 meteors per hour, the most optimistic estimates suggest there could be as many as 200 to 300 meteors in the swarm, twice the number seen during the summer Perseids. The maximum meteor shower is expected between 7:00-7:30 am. For the next such phenomenon one will have to wait until 2032.
Photo by Pedro Puente Hoyos/MTI/EPA
The origin of the Leonids is the comet Tempel-Tuttle, whose orbit passes through Earth once a year. It is close to Earth every year between October 20 and November 30. The meteor swarm is named after the constellation Leo, because the meteor swarm seems to come from this constellation.
Via mti.hu, featured image: Facebook
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