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How to (maybe) see the Leonid meteor shower before dawn on Monday
This year's episode of the grand meteor shower the Leonids will peak on Monday morning before dawn. The meteors are bits of debris dropping off the comet Tempel-Tuttle that intersects Earth's orbit every November. Unfortunately, it may be tough to see many shooting stars because activity this year will be low and the waning gibbous moon will shine brightly. Still, it's always fun and meditative to watch the skies. From EarthSky:
Read the restIn 2019, no matter where you are on Earth and no matter when you watch, on the morning of the peak itself, or on the morning leading up to the peak the best hours of the night for meteor-watching will be hindered by the bright moon. Those hours are between midnight and dawn, when Earths forward motion through space has carried your part of Earth head-on into the meteor stream.
Also in 2019, theres really no way to avoid the moon. Youll have to find a way to work around it. Try observing in a shadow of a large structure (like a barn), or in a mountain shadow. Just try to keep the moon out of view. Let your eyes adjust to the darkness for a period, say, 15 minutes to half an hour. Just wait and watch, dont expect too much, and see what you see.
We hear lots of reports from people who see meteors from yards, decks, streets and especially highways in and around cities. But the best place to watch a meteor shower is always in the country.
Original Link: http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/P0TWe9Bl1SA/how-to-maybe-see-the-leonid.html