Leonid Meteor Shower 2012: Where to Watch

Keep your eyes on the sky during the pre-dawn hours through Tuesday morning, when the Leonid meteor shower is expected to peak. 

A meteor is the streak of light we see when a meteoroid enters Earth's atmosphere. The Leonids usually contain many bright meteors with trails that can be seen for several minutes. They may be seen with the naked eye.

These meteors are fast (about 40 miles per second) and can leave trails of smoke, according to Astronomy.com. They will appear to radiate from the constellation Leo the Lion and can vary in color.

Any unobstructed vantage would offer a chance of seeing this celestial event.

To see the Leonids, lie outside in a dark place between midnight and dawn. Point your feet east and look carefully. 

Check the weather forecast and conditions before you head outside to watch.

Leonids Trivia

The Leonids shower is so-called because the meteors seem to radiate outward from the constellation Leo. The starting point, called the radiant for obvious reasons, is found in the part of Leo that looks like a backwards question mark. 

Sometimes the Leonids "storm" (rather than just a "shower") some years. The last Leonid storm, with thousands of shooting stars per hour, was in 2002.

But this year the shower will be limited to 10 to 15 meteors per hour. 

A report from MSNBC says there is a reason this year's display a peak of activity will be Tuesday morning (Nov. 20). But the shower will also be on display in the early hours of Monday Nov. 19.

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