Gregory Goes There

While snow showers might not be in your forecast this upcoming week, look out for the annual Leonid meteor shower, said to be at its peak on November 17th between 3:30 and 5:30 a.m. Historically, Leonid meteor showers (or storms) have been among the most spectacular. Although many say you can’t predict the intensity of a meteor shower, reports state this cycle may produce more than 500 meteors an hour.

November 12-13, 1833 marked both the discovery of the Leonid meteor shower as well as the birth of meteor astronomy. In the early morning hours of the November 13, 1833, the meteor storm erupted causing both panic and wonder. Reportedly, the storm estimated over one hundred thousand meteors an hour.

The last Leonid storms (1,000+ meteors per hour) occurred from 2000-2002 producing up to 3,000 meteors per hour. This year the moon will be a waxing crescent, meaning the sky will be dark enough to see the light show. Although the showers will supposedly be the strongest in the early hours, you can still catch the show leading up to and after. So pack your Gregory backpacks and head out beyond the city lights to catch what should be a remarkable meteor shower.