How to see the Leonid meteor shower from Mexico: 20 meteors are expected per hour

This week, all astronomy lovers will be watching Partial lunar eclipse What will happen on Friday November 19 Because it will be the longest in the century and the satellite will appear in an intense red color due to the volcanic activity that was recorded on the island of La Palma, Spain. However, a little while ago, we will have another unmissable offer: Leonid Meteor shower.

This phenomenon will reach its maximum activity in Early in the morning on Wednesday 17th November. This means that under ideal conditions, with clear skies, Up to 20 meteors can be seen per hour.

According to NASA, Leonid’s fireballs are remnants she left behind. Comet 55P / Temple Tuttle, which takes about 33 years to orbit the Sun.

Every time the Earth crossed the orbit of this celestial body, it encountered dust and debris that separated from its core and remained floating in space. This collides with our atmosphere and becomes A meteor that travels at a speed of about 71 kilometers per second.

Comets, like planets, revolve around the sun, albeit in more elongated and eccentric orbits. On their way they leave the remains of their nuclei. When the Earth in its journey around the Sun crosses the orbit of a comet, this debris interacts with our atmosphere, producing a meteor shower, which in tonight’s case is called Leonidas.,” explained in a video shared by the Quintana Roo Planetarium Network and National Stars Committee Night.

This astronomical event owes its radiant name, The constellation Leo, the point in the sky from which meteors seem to fall. If you want to contemplate their towering stars, we leave you here step by step so you can pick them up from Mexico.

Step 1: Date and time

Leonids can be seen from November 6-30, but will reach its maximum extent in the early morning of Wednesday, 17th of this month, hours before dawn.. The Planetarium Network of Quintana Roo and National Stars Committee Night recommend viewing after midnight.

This time, the main problem will be the brightness of the moon. The Earth satellite will be very close to its full phase – which will happen on December 19 – so its glare could hamper the observation process.

As a result, INAOE recommends meditating on Leonids between four and six in the morning, since at about five the moon will hide and it will be easier to catch the flashes of stars in the sky.

Second step: the place

The choice of place is very important when considering as many shooting stars as possible. NASA recommends watching the phenomenon from dark and clear skies, and avoiding cell phone light to get a feel for the night vision.

“Ideal conditions include a dark location away from any light source, and a clear sky without clouds or high fog. Obstacle-free vision of a large area of ​​the sky, and plenty of incessant darkness to allow your eyes to adjust. Those of us who live in urban and suburban environments surrounded by light sources would not have much luck seeing these meteors, the space agency wrote on its website.

Remember that adapting your eyes to darkness is a process that takes about 45 minutes.

Step 3: Where to look

It is not necessary to look in a specific direction to see Leonids, as they will be observed throughout the sky. However, from the perspective of the Earth All of its meteors appear to come from the same point of origin: the constellation Leo.

To capture it more easily, turn your gaze toward that constellation of stars. If you do not know how to locate it, you can use mobile applications such as SkySafari for Android or SkyView for IOS, which will help you find the locations of stars and constellations.

After that, you just need a little patience to notice the first star and fulfill your desire.

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