How rare is the Leonid Meteor shower? Here's the reason you must not miss it

The Leonid Meteor shower peaks during the middle of November, it is considered a major shower but meteor rates can be often as low as 15 per hour. We are talking about bright meteors that can also be colorful, which is one of the reasons they are so special to watch. As far as speed goes, these meteors can travel at speeds of 44 miles per second, which makes them some of the fastest meteors out there. An event that happens once ever few decades is definitely considered a special celestial event due to how rare it is for viewers on earth. A storm like this can peak with hundreds of thousands of meteors that are seen per hour. Although this depends stricly on the location of the observer, because you won't see the same number of meteors in a populated city compared to an open field with no lights around.

Just how special are the Leonids?

We've already said this event happens once ever few decades but to be percise. The Leonid Meteor Shower can be seen from earth once every 33 years. People who last got a chance to see this one were able to do so in 1990. It is also important to diferentiate a Leonid shower from a Leonid storm. Where a shower shows that already mentioned 15 meteors per hour, the storm has at least 1,000 meteors per hour. Back in 1966, viewers got to experience an unforgettable Leonid storm during a 15-minute period. the most recent Leonid Meteor storm took place back in 2002.

Viewing tips for the Leonid Meteor shower

The best possible way to watch any meteor shower is if you go to an unpopulate area where there isn't much contamination from the lights. Once you find a good spot, orient your feet to the East and lay down on the ground. You will need to get your eye sight accustomed to the view, that takes about 30 minutes. Don't get desperate for a glimpse at the meteors, you will have plenty of time during the night of November 18 and the dawn of November 19. Meterors will keep ing until the sun comes out. If you care about recording an event, you can also use a good lens and a decent mirrorless camera that can help you capture the event.