Prospects for the 2015 November Leonid meteors
Wednesday, November 11, 2015 - 08:50
in Astronomy & Space
A November rain hails from the Sickle of the Lion. Hot on the heels of the October Orionids and the Halloween fireballs of the Taurid meteors comes the Leonid meteor shower. On most years, the Leonids are a moderate shower, with hourly local rates reaching around 20. Once every 33 years, however, the Leonids are responsible for putting on one of the greatest astronomical shows ever witnessed, producing a grand storm with a zenithal hourly rate topping thousands per hour.