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Leonid meteors to light up the weekend, could turn 'stormy'

The annual shower has been known to occasionally turn into a meteor "storm" where shooting stars are as plentiful as snowflakes.

Eric Mack Contributing Editor
Eric Mack has been a CNET contributor since 2011. Eric and his family live 100% energy and water independent on his off-grid compound in the New Mexico desert. Eric uses his passion for writing about energy, renewables, science and climate to bring educational content to life on topics around the solar panel and deregulated energy industries. Eric helps consumers by demystifying solar, battery, renewable energy, energy choice concepts, and also reviews solar installers. Previously, Eric covered space, science, climate change and all things futuristic. His encrypted email for tips is ericcmack@protonmail.com.
Expertise Solar, solar storage, space, science, climate change, deregulated energy, DIY solar panels, DIY off-grid life projects. CNET's "Living off the Grid" series. https://www.cnet.com/feature/home/energy-and-utilities/living-off-the-grid/ Credentials
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Eric Mack
2 min read
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A Leonid caught via time-lapse

NASA

One of the most potentially exciting meteor showers of the year is here and ready to put on a free show as the Leonids hit their peak Saturday and Sunday. 

The Leonid meteor shower has been known to very rarely blow up into a meteor storm, when the number of shooting stars that can be seen skyrockets from one or two dozen per hour to as many as thousands per hour. 

The last time the Leonids erupted into a major storm was in 2001 and then again in 2002, and there's grainy home video footage to prove it:

One account from the 1966 Leonid storm described seeing "dozens of meteors every second ... the effect was similar to watching snowflakes race at your windshield while driving in a snowstorm."

The Leonids occur every year around this time when the Earth drifts through the cloud of dust and debris left behind by the comet Tempel-Tuttle on its trips around the sun. The outbursts occur when our planet hits a particularly dense pocket of comet detritus.

While a meteor storm isn't predicted for this year's Leonids, it's possible we could sneak up on an undetected pocket of dense dust that quickly goes up in flames in our atmosphere, putting on quite a show in the process.

2018 Perseid meteor shower sizzles across the sky

See all photos

Even without a major meteor outburst, the Leonids can typically produce 15 to 25 shooting stars or fireballs an hour, if you can find clear skies away from light pollution.

"The Leonids are often bright meteors with a high percentage of persistent trains," according to the American Meteor Society.

You don't have to stare at a particular patch of sky to witness the meteors. It's better to find a spot with as broad a view of the night sky as possible, lay back, let your eyes adjust to the darkness and just look up.

If you happen to catch any great photos of the show, please tweet them to me @EricCMack.  

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