We have another meteor shower heading our way. The Leonid Meteor Shower is expected to peak on the night of November 17 as Earth passes through a debris trail of a comet. According to the American Meteor Society, one can expect up to 10 meteors per hour in perfect viewing conditions.
What’s up, skywatchers?
The Leonid meteor shower peaks Nov. 16-18. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Leo in the eastern sky.
The shower runs through Dec. 2, but at its peak, you could see up to 10-15 meteors per hour in dark skies! pic.twitter.com/M04sownAto
— NASA JPL (@NASAJPL) November 15, 2025
About the Leonid Meteor Shower
The Leonid meteor shower, which is active from November 3 to December 2, results from the debris left behind by the comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle as it orbits the Sun. When our planet crosses this debris trail, the fragments burn up in the atmosphere creating bright streaks of light.
According to NASA, the comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle was discovered twice independently – in 1865 by Ernst Tempel and in 1866 by Horace Tuttle. The comet’s nucleus has an estimated diameter of roughly 3.6 kilometers.
Interestingly, the Leonids generate a magnificent storm, illuminating the night sky with thousands of meteors every 33 years. The most memorable of these storms occurred in 1833, when tens of thousands of them appeared over North America.
The Leonids appear to emerge in the constellation Leo and its meteors (travelling at 71 km per second) are considered some of the fastest known so far. However, NASA says – “You should not look only to the constellation of Leo to view the Leonids – they are visible across the night sky. It is actually better to view the Leonids away from the radiant (point of origin).”
“They will appear longer and more spectacular from this perspective. If you do look directly at the radiant, you will find that the meteors will be short – this is an effect of perspective called foreshortening,” it added.
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Viewing in India
The Leonid meteor shower will be visible in all parts of northern hemisphere including India. The best time to spot the meteors is late at night into the early hours of November 18.
The Moon will be in its waning crescent phase with a visibility of a little over 7%, meaning there won’t be overwhelming moonlight to drown out the meteoric illumination. NASA says the shower will last until dawn, so viewers will have plenty of time to spot a few meteors.
