The Leonids Meteor Shower of November is set to peak on November 17, 2008. Scientists believe that there will be a major outburst between 12:01 AM and 12:30 AM Universal Time. For those of you who don’t know the history of the Leonids, please read these articles: Leonids Fireball and Leonids Meteor Shower of 2008.
Universal Time (UT) is the same as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). By now I’m hoping that you are asking yourself “Where to Look?” to see this grand episode. I have posted a few different maps around the site in the comments for people all over the world. You can use the maps as a guide to find the Constellation Leo, but remember Leonids can be seen anywhere in the sky. This year the moon will be really prominent in the sky shedding a lot of light due to the fact that it is in a waning gibbous phase with near 75% of the moon illuminated.
How do you view this shower? Find a nice dark spot away from man made lights, get a lawn chair and if you’re in a cold weather area please dress warmly. Sit back and look for the Big Dipper and navigate from the Big Dipper to the radiant in Leo. This map should help you find Leo. The view of the Big Dipper and the Constellation Leo will be different for everyone in the world.
Please report your Leonids Meteor Shower sightings here on the site and keep your head up!
Where to Look for the Leonids Meteor Shower
GMT TIME Click on The Clock to Find Your Time Zone
on Nov 16th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
Hello Meteor Gazers,
I was just out there in the cold with winds of up to 40 MPH and watched a huge cloud cover the whole sky. I did not see any so please report your meteor views here. I will again be going out to brave the cold on November 17th which is 4 hours and 18 minutes from now for me. For everyone else good luck as I am not sure the Leonids are going to be very spectacular but one never knows unless they try…
Keep Your Head Up!
- Meteor Mark
on Nov 18th, 2008 at 1:35 am
I was just sitting in my porch drinking tea before I turned into bed about 11:30 central daylight savings time. I had turned off the lights and sat watching the stars. I saw the first meteor I’ve ever seen. I wondered for a few seconds what I had seen. A falling star? It was too close. I’m in MN and was looking to the south. After looking at many internet websites I’m quite sure it was a Leonid. It was bright and intense. It was spectacular!!!
A new meteorgazer,
Marian E.
on Nov 18th, 2008 at 1:38 am
Marian,
Welcome to the Club! Bookmark this site and check back with me at the end of the month and/or beginning of next month for the new schedule!
- Keep your head up!
on Nov 18th, 2008 at 2:31 am
Im in Southern California and not sure if this has anything to do with it, but I was looking N/Nw and saw a red/yellow small falling star that shot down into the horizon and kinda split off into three trickles and that was it. Was that just a falling star? At about 10:30 – 10:40 Pac. time.
on Nov 18th, 2008 at 2:35 am
Deetru,
Sounds like it was a “falling star”. A falling star is formally known as a meteor, sometimes meteors do break apart as they descend into the atmosphere before they disintegrate. Sounds like it must of looked pretty cool, thanks for the comment.
-Meteor Mark
on Nov 18th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
I’m in Louisiana and someone informed me that there will still be a shower tonight, Tuesday, November 18th. Can anyone confirm this for me?
on Nov 18th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
Lisa,
The Leonids peaked November 17th there will still be activity until the 25th. There is information regarding this shower by using the search feature in the upper right hand corner. Search for Leonids.
Thanks for the comment.
- Meteor Mark
on Nov 18th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
Just found it! Thanks and by the way “great website”
on Nov 18th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Deetru,
My husband and I saw our first meteor on Sunday night and it was HUGE. I tried to report it but getting Right Ascension and Declination on the chart were a challenge for a layperson!
As for what you saw, I spoke to Mrs. Norton yesterday (wife of O. Richard Norton) and she says if they break apart like what you saw it is much more likely the meteor actually contacted terra firma. Of course, you’d have to triangulate it and then actually go looking for it! We saw ours here in Southern Oregon and it looked like it was right over the neighbor’s house, but Mrs. Norton saw it in Bend, as well. So ours was likely 30 miles up. Your meteor may have touched down. It’s a long shot, but how amazing is it to think you were there to see it??
I’m going out with cocoa and blankets to watch some more!
The Newbie
on Nov 18th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
Melodyanne,
I like you enthusiasm, but I am not sure this information is accurate. The Fireball that was seen would be called a bolide. This is a meteor that breaks apart or explodes at it’s end. It is very rare for a meteor to reach Earth, but it does happen.
- Meteor Mark
on Nov 20th, 2008 at 1:08 am
Wow, I was driving to work this AM about 6:15 Pacific Time and saw the most spectacular meteor ever. The sky was just beginning to lighten and I was in a remote area. . Right in front of me streaking across the horizon coming from the SW was a huge bluish/green fireball. It seemed to explode and disappear just to the east of where I was driving. I am thinking this was part of the Leonids, am I correct? Why does it just explode like this? Did it possibly land and become a meteorite? I live in central California.
garkagirl
on Nov 20th, 2008 at 1:17 am
Robin,
Without knowing the exact direction it was travelling and where we can trace the radiant to, it is hard to tell what shower it was from. There are three showers occuring now, The Leonids, Southern and Northern Taurids.
Taurids are known for fiery orange fireballs and Leonids are sometimes bluish/green like you described. Having said that, it was more likely a Leonids Fireball.
Please review this search link: Bolide
The link will describe why sometimes a Fireball explodes at the end. If it was really big seismic energy would have been released, I checked your report against earthquake and seismic activity and saw nothing at this time; therefore it just exploded in the air because of immense ram pressure that occurs when meteoroids enter our atmosphere.
Sounds awesome by the way, thanks for sharing. Bookmark the site, I will be giving more updates for next month and also info on a minor shower occuring soon this month.
Keep Your Head Up
- Meteor Mark
on Nov 24th, 2008 at 6:29 pm
I just viewed the Canadian meteor video on the news, and it was very similar to what I saw last week. My wife and I were walking our dogs (Nov. 17th) ,when I saw a “flying star” and said “WOW did you see that”. As I pointed north it then burst into a fireball before fading away shooting westward. It was between 5:15 & 5:30 PM PST. I live in Central California, 40 mi. south of Sacramento.
Just thought I’d share this, because it was the most spectacular thing I have ever witnessed.
Nick, Lodi,CA
on Nov 24th, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Nick,
Thanks for sharing! That is what this site is all about as well as sharing my knowledge and enthusiasm for meteors!
Bookmark the site and check back, next month could be pretty cool!
Keep your head up,
- Meteor Mark