Coming to Tonight's Sky: The Leonids

Meteor shower will peak overnight, but look out for that moon
By Polly Davis Doig,  Newser Staff
Posted Nov 17, 2019 8:43 AM CST
Gracing Sunday's Night Sky: The Leonids
Amateur astronomers observe the night sky for the Leonid meteor shower at a hilltop near the village of Nagrakot, 20 miles northeast of Katmandu, Nepal, early Wednesday, Nov 18, 2009.   (AP Photo/Gemunu Amarasinghe)

If you've been over Dancing With the Stars for at least a dozen years, the home of the actual stars is offering you some alternative Sunday night entertainment. The Leonid meteor shower—so named because it appears to originate in the constellation Leo—will peak overnight, clocking in at around 15 meteors an hour, reports CBS News. The show gets going just after midnight and will continue until dawn; CBS recommends that you find a dark east-facing spot and give your eyes at least half an hour to adjust. Potentially partially spoiling the show: The moon, which is 80% illuminated. If it's too cold where you are, NASA has a livestream. Next up: The Geminids on Dec. 13. (More Leonids stories.)

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