Leonid meteor shower happens in November each year and it is one that skywatchers want to witness because of its reputation of offering the best meteor displays in history.
Those in the United States who do not want to miss this year's display of shooting stars should look towards the skies between Monday midnight and dawn on Tuesday.
Bill Cooke, a meteor expert from the Meteoroid Environment Office of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), said that the 2014 Leonid meteor shower should offer skygazers between 10 and 15 shooting stars per hour, which is relatively a decent rate when compared with other meteor showers.
The Leonids, however, is known to offer one of the best displays of shooting stars. In its peak years, the meteor shower produced 1,000 meteors or more per hour.
In 2002, the Leonids produced a meteor storm that treated spectators with more than 3,000 meteors appearing in the sky per hour. The 1833 storm, on the other hand, produced up to 72,000 shooting stars per hour. Unfortunately, experts do not expect Leonid storm to happen this year.
With the anticipated 10 to 15 shooting stars appearing per hour, the 2014 Leonid meteor could be a disappointment for those expecting much from the famous annual meteor display. Stargazers may get the chance to witness a more spectacular appearance of 1,000 or more meteors per hour by 2034.
Still, it can be worthwhile to witness how the Leonids perform this year. With meteor forecasting still in its infancy, there is a chance that there may be a surprising uptick in the number of meteors showing up in the sky.
The best time to watch the skies for all locations will be during the predawn hours on Monday morning when the Leo constellation rises to its highest point in the sky. The crescent moon will rise around 2 a.m. but experts say its waning light won't cause serious disruption viewing the meteor shower. Skywatchers may also opt to witness the shooting stars late Sunday night before the moon rises above the horizon.
Watching the show in a location where there is less light pollution is also a great idea but if bad weather and light pollution get in the way, watching the event online is also an option. The Slooh Community Observatory will start its free webcast of the Leonids at 8 p.m. EST while NASA's will start at 7:30 p.m. EST.
