The annual Leonid Meteor Shower is taking place most of the month of November, but peak activity, with around 15 visible meteors an hour, will be tonight between midnight and daylight Tuesday morning.
The Leonids are best viewed starting after midnight. Find an area well away from city or street lights. Come prepared with a sleeping bag, blanket or lawn chair. Orient yourself with your feet towards east, lie flat on your back, and look up, taking in as much of the sky as possible. In less than 30 minutes in the dark, your eyes will adapt and you will begin to see meteors. Be patient -- the show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to catch a glimpse.
The moon is waning, so that light shouldn’t interfere too much with stargazing. It’s raining today where I am, so clouds may obscure the view. And of course, laying on the ground for hours is not as easy in November as it would be in June. If you can’t get out to see the meteor shower, the Slooh Space Camera will be streaming the event live. -via HuffPo
(Image credit: Flickr user Ed Sweeney)