Leonid Meteor Shower Peaks Today
The annual Leonid meteor shower is expected to reach its peak today, with viewers witnessing between 30 and 300 shooting stars an hour depending on their locations. The Leonids are bits of debris from the Tempel-Tuttle comet, and this year’s sky show will peak as Earth passes through a cloud of debris left behind by the comet in 1467 and 1533. The greatest number of meteors is expected to streak through the sky at around 4:45 PM Eastern Time on November 17, but daylight will essentially obscure views in North America at that time. Instead, North Americans are advised to look to the skies between 2 and 4 AM on the 17th. In Asia, however, the Leonids’ peak is expected to come during the predawn hours, providing an ideal viewing situation