The month of November is characterized by being very active astronomically speaking. This year will give us a partial lunar eclipse and two meteor showers to admire the maximum cosmic splendor in the skies. The second meteor shower of November 2021 is called Leonidas and will cross the firmament with its characteristic red stars. How, when and where to see are key questions to enjoy it and reconnect with the cosmos.
Leonid Meteor Shower November 2021
The second meteor shower of the month of November will arrive to delight our senses. Earth and debris left by the Comet Tempel Tuttle they will cross, causing the interaction of meteors with the terrestrial atmosphere that produce the so-called meteors. And although the Leonids will produce a display of 15 meteors per hour, which is not especially a very high zenithal hourly rate, they are considered to be of great beauty as they produce flashes of colour.
Also, because the reminiscences left by the comet are not evenly distributed in space, meteor swarms occur approximately every 33 years. In other words, the zenithal hourly rate goes from being 15 meteors per hour, to displaying hundreds or even thousands of them per hour. In this case it is no longer called a meteor shower, but a meteor storm. Which implies that at least a thousand meteors per hour are displayed.
viewers of 1966 experienced one of the most amazing storms in recent memory. They visualized thousands of meteors falling per minute for at least 15 minutes. A show that has rarely been equaled. The last time a Leonid meteor shower was observed was in 2002.
What day is the Leonids Meteor Shower?
Annually this meteor shower extends from the 6 and until 30 November. However, this 2021 the Leonids meteor shower will have its maximum splendor between the night of the 17th and the early morning of the 18th. Although the proximity to the full moon may pose a slight obstacle to observing them, we recommend that you pay attention to the darkest place in the heaven and await its passage through the celestial vault.
Jethro Stamps
Although the zenithal hourly rate of the Leonids is only 15 meteors per hour, its beauty is that it can become a storm. In addition to the fact that the flashing lights in the sky are not usually the usual color with which other meteors are observed. But produces reddish colored fireballs at very high speeds that reach 71 kilometers per second. These types of flashes are well known for moving close to the horizon and have very long and colorful tails.
How to see the Leonids 2021 meteor shower?
According to NASA, the Leonids can be best observed after midnight. To observe them, you have to find a place away from the light pollution produced by large cities. So, if possible, you should get away from big cities and look for open spaces where there is no artificial light.
Paul Baffle
Patience is the key The Leonid meteor shower will last until dawn so there will be plenty of time to hunt the stars crossing the firmament from one side to the other. But it is important that before lying down to observe the cosmic spectacle, artificial screens are not used so that the eyes get used to the dark and can finally decipher the lights in the sky.
Follow closely all the spellbinding events that the cosmos has in store for us this year in our 2021 astronomical calendar and don’t miss the opportunity to reconnect with the cosmos.
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