Leonid meteor shower peaks this week | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
Subscribe

Would you like to subscribe to our newsletter?

Current Conditions Mostly Cloudy  5.1°C

Penticton News

Leonid meteor shower peaks this week

The Leonid meteor shower peaks this week in the night skies over Kamloops and the Okanagan.
Image Credit: YOUTUBE/NASA 360

Mid-November night skies in Kamloops and the Okanagan will see a return of the annual Leonid meteor shower.

The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada says the Leonids should peak tonight, Nov. 17.

The Leonids are known for some of the most interesting meteor displays lighting up our night sky over the years, but according to space.com, the 2020 version of the Leonids is not expected to be particularly active.

However, Canadian meteor forecasters Margaret Campbell-Brown and Peter Brown suggest the Leonids could provide rates of up to 20 meteors per hour at or before sunrise.

The Leonids get their name from the spot from which the meteors seem to fan out, located in the constellation of Leo, the Lion on the southeast horizon.

The meteors, which are caused by the comet Tempel-Tuttle, can produce some bright and spectacular fireballs. This year’s best viewing times are expected after 4 a.m., with Environment Canada calling for cloudy skies overnight tonight.


To contact a reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to tips@infonews.ca and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.

News from © iNFOnews, 2020
iNFOnews

  • Popular penticton News
View Site in: Desktop | Mobile