November is the time of year when we look to the sky to see a reoccurring display of meteoroids falling into Earth’s atmosphere. Because the meteors we see originate from near the constellation Leo, we call these the Leonid Meteor Shower.
So how do these meteors form?
First, there needs to be a source of dirt and small bits of debris. In this case, the meteoroids come from the tail of comet Tempel-Tuttle.
The Earth passes through the tail debris from Tempel-Tuttle this time each year.
The small pieces of dirt, pebbles and other debris fall into the Earth’s atmosphere and burn up. On the ground, we see that as the brief streaks going across the sky. If you want to see some meteors, you’re in luck! Late Monday night into Tuesday morning, under a clear sky across North Texas, you will be able to see some meteors. But, you’ve got to do a few key steps to see them.
First, you have to get away from bright city lights. Secondly, you have to start looking for them at the right time. The most likely time to see the most meteors (10 to 15 per hour) will be between midnight Tuesday and dawn Tuesday morning. Lastly, all you have to do is get comfortable and look up!
