Community Corner
Leonid Meteor Shower 2013: What to Expect
A meteor shower will be visible after midnight Saturday and Sunday.
By Peter Schelden
Have you seen them falling from the sky? Meteors that appear to shoot from the Leo constellation are visible throughout November. But the Leonid meteor shower peaks this weekend.
The light show will be best seen Saturday and Sunday night after midnight, according to planetsave.com.
The Leonids are known for dazzling displays. Skywatchers still talk about the 1966 Great Meteor Shower, described as "one of the most stupendous Leonid meteor displays ever witnessed" by space.com. That shower peaked at 40 meteors per second.
This year will be far short of that mark, with an estimated 10-20 meteors per hour. Add to that a full moon, and the viewing conditions for 2013's Leonid meteor shower are not expected to impress.
If you miss the Leonids, you can set your calendar for Dec. 13-14. This is when the Geminids Meteor Shower is expected to peak.
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