It is time again for one of the more reliable meteor showers of the year: the Leonids. Active between early November and early December, the shower experiences a sharp peak this week, expected on the night of 16–17 November.
The meteors take their name from the constellation Leo, the lion, and appear to emanate from the region of the “lion’s head”, an asterism known as the sickle because of its shape.
Once part of the tail of comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, now this cloud of dust particles produces about 10-15 bright meteors an hour.
These fast-moving meteors enter Earth’s atmosphere at about 70 km/s and leave straight, bright trails that linger in the air.
Though the Leonids are capable of spectacular meteor storms, with rates in the hundreds or thousands per hour, there is no prediction of such an outburst in 2025.
For the UK and other northern-hemisphere viewers, the best time to watch is in the early hours when Leo is higher in the sky and the night is at its darkest. The chart shows the view looking east from London at 00:00 as 16 November becomes 17 November. Warm clothing, a deck chair and patience are the name of the game when watching a meteor shower.
