By: FE Online | November 13, 2021
The meteor shower is caused by the debris of a small comet known as the 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, which is located in the Leo constellation.
Leonids Meteor Shower: The yearly Leonids Meteor Shower commenced this year on November 6, and it will continue till November 30. It is expected that the peak activity during the shower would be on November 17, when our planet will pass through the densest part of the debris. This means that on November 17, which means next Wednesday, viewers would be able to see parts of this cosmic debris whiz past the Earth in what would seem like fireworks in the sky. The meteor shower is caused by the debris of a small comet known as the 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, which is located in the Leo constellation. This comet takes 33 years to orbit around the Sun, according to a report in IE.
The report cited NASA as saying that although the rates of this shower can be as low as 15 meteors per hour, it features the fastest meteors which can typically travel at speeds as high as 71 km per second. But that is not all. These meteors are bright in colour, which has led to them also being called fireballs, and they streak close to the horizon, which is why they are often dubbed as earthgazer meteors. The light that leads to meteors being called shooting stars by many is due to the friction that is present between meteorite and the molecules present in the atmosphere of the Earth.
More:
https://www.financialexpress.com/lifestyle/science/leonids-meteor-shower-is-underway-what-it-is-how-to-view-and-everything-to-know/2368429/
