Tonight is the peak of Leonid meteor shower activity, visible after midnight.

・ Parent object: Comet Tempel-Tuttle
・ Peak this year: November 17th (Sunday) around 21:00
・Times seen in Japan:
November 17th (Sunday) around midnight to 18th (Monday) morning

In the past, the Leonid meteor shower was so active that it was called a “meteor shower”, but its activity has slowed down in recent years. The comets were previously known for their large appearances in 1999 and 2001, and the orbital period of the parent comet is about 33 years, so the slow motion is likely to continue for several more years. It is likely that the next time they will appear in large numbers will be in the 2030s at the earliest.

The constellation Leo, where the radiant point is located, begins to rise in the sky around the time the date changes, so a meteor shower will not be seen until then. The higher the radiant, the more meteors stream, so the best time to see them is from early morning to early morning.

Unfortunately, viewing conditions are not good tonight, when the activity is at its peak, as the bright, almost full moon lights up the night sky throughout the night. night. According to the Japan National Astronomical Observatory, the number of meteors that can be seen even in areas with good observing conditions is about 3 per hour at its peak.

Get lucky if you see one, and enjoy watching meteors by looking vaguely at a distance from the moon.

The meteors of the Leonid meteor shower are said to often leave clear meteor trails. Even if the number is small, seeing bright meteors can be very moving.

The night sky is expected to be covered with clouds in many places in northern and eastern Japan due to the movement of a cold front and the influence of cold and moist air. Unfortunately the weather is not good for viewing.

The western Pacific side of the Tokai Sea is likely to have clear skies, so it will be a good chance to spot meteors. Although the temperature will not drop significantly, it is likely to get colder at night due to stronger northerly winds. If you stay still outside, your body will get cold from the core, so it will be very difficult if you stay in your clothes during the day. Please protect yourself from the cold and take care.

Even after the peak of the Leonid meteor shower has passed, several other meteor showers reach their peak activity in the winter.

On the night of December 13, the Geminid meteor shower, one of the three major meteor showers, will peak. It is known that a large number of meteors regularly fall each year, and often the largest number is in the year. Although viewing conditions are poor this year as it is close to the full moon, we can expect to see up to 40 meteors per hour.

On the night of January 3, one of the three major meteor showers, the Shibungid meteor shower, will peak. The meteor shower will decorate the New Year, and the following night on January 3, 2025 conditions will be very favorable as there will be no interference from the moonlight. The number of meteors seen can even exceed the number of the Geminid meteor shower.