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  Known as some of the fastest meteors, the Leonids blaze across the night sky every year during the month of November.  Historically, they are regarded as one of the most spectacular meteor showers on record, mainly due to the meteor storm that forms approximately every 33 years, causing thousands of meteors to rain down into the night sky.   

  This is not a storm year, but there are still plenty of chances to see the brilliant Leonidas.  Thursday night, the rain is expected to peak around 7 p.m.  ET, according to EarthSky.  The celestial event will be visible to everyone on the night side of the world at that time.   

  The Leonid meteor shower is active until December 2, alongside the tail end of the Northern Taurida meteor shower.  Around their peak, sky watchers could potentially observe 10 to 15 meteors per hour.  Meteors travel in the opposite direction of Earth’s rotation, causing a nearly head-on collision with the atmosphere when they cross.  Space rocks are often recorded hurtling across the sky at 44 miles per second (71 kilometers per second) — some of the fastest meteors produced by one of the big annual meteor showers, according to Robert Lunsford, fireball report coordinator for the American Meteor Society.  .   

  Brighter meteors often leave behind glowing trails and can even leave streaks of smoke across the sky for several minutes, Lunsford said.   

  The Leonids are also known for their spectacular fireballs, which are meteors so large they shine brighter than Venus, and for Earth’s pastures, meteors that spread out near the horizon and are known for their long and colorful tails, according to NASA.   

  “They are the fastest meteors produced among the big annual meteor showers, and they have a certain look, like spears, very long and sharp,” Lunsford said.  “They’re very impressive, especially the shiny ones, so they’re probably one of my favorites.”   

  The forecast for Thursday afternoon, around the time of this peak, will be mostly clear skies along the coast of the United States (New York and Los Angeles) with a 0% chance of rain, according to CNN meteorologist Allison Chinchar.  Those in the Midwest (Chicago) will have less favorable sky-watching conditions, with clouds and a 30% chance of snow.   

  The best time to be out looking for a meteor is this Thursday afternoon into Friday morning, but the meteor society has predicted that Earth may also pass through a concentrated stream of debris left behind in 1733 from the Leonids’ parent comet, Tempel-Tuttle.  .   

  If this happens, for a short time on Saturday morning around 1 am.  ET, as many as 250 meteors per hour could be visible, according to Lunsford.  If you’re on the night side of Earth during this time, you could spot a meteor, but it’s best to keep an eye on the eastern horizon to increase your chances.  (Those on the west coast of the United States will have an even smaller window to view this burst, as Leo, the constellation from which the meteors appear to radiate, will still be below the horizon.)   

  “We’ve gone back hundreds of years — because the comet passes through the inner solar system maybe every 33 years — so each of those paths has been mapped,” Lunsford said.  “We can more or less determine the time and date, but we have no idea what the particle density is.  So, it could be exciting or it could be dumb.”   

  The meteor society recommends going outside at least 30 minutes before the shower peaks, to allow your eyes to adjust to the dark.  Since the moon will rise almost at the same time as the radiant constellation, it is best to look in a direction away from its light.   

  “Anyone can contribute scientifically useful information just by taking a few notes about these meteorites.  … You can go out and count how much you can see.”  Lunsford said.   

  “It’s fun, it’s cheap and it’s a good way for families to get together.  If your sky is clear at that time, I wouldn’t want to miss it.”   

  There are only two more meteor showers to see before the end of the year, according to EarthSky’s 2022 meteor shower guide.  Here’s when they peak:   

  • December 14: Gemini   

  • December 22: Ursides   

  There’s one more full moon on The Old Farmer’s Almanac calendar for 2022: Check out the cold moon on December 7.