The Leonid meteor shower has been active throughout November, but it is about to reach its peak, from the early hours of November 16 until the 17th, according to the American Meteor Society.
This meteor originates from the proximity of the comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, when the trajectory of these debris enters the Earth’s atmosphere, they catch fire producing a spectacular incandescent phenomenon that illuminates the night sky.
The phenomenon is best seen in clear skies, but this year it will coincide with the Beaver Full Moon, which will be 99% illuminated, so visibility will be limited.
How to watch the Leonid meteor shower
This phenomenon is usually visible throughout the northern hemisphere, and its radiant, the point of origin is the constellation Leo and will last for several weeks after its peak.
The Leonids are visible in both hemispheres and the best time to observe them is when Leo is at its highest point in the sky. You can check the most suitable times on the American Meteor Society website.
While the meteors will appear to originate from this constellation, they actually move from that point in all directions. The best place is a point where there is dark sky, away from cities as much as possible and take some time in the twilight to allow your eyes to adjust to the darkness. The ideal place to look is 45 degrees from the radiant, but the most important factor is to look at the darkest area of the sky you can.
How to photograph a meteor shower?
If you want to go further in your experience and hunt the meteor shower with your lens, here are some useful tips:
First, you must anticipate the date on which these phenomena occur, as they are periodic. Their names are related to the region of the sky in which they appear specifically, the constellations.
In most cases, the peak time of activity is between midnight and the early hours of the morning, between 01:00 and 03:00. To photograph them, you can even do it with your mobile phone, but you will need a support to keep it steady.
If you want an image that sums up the night, it’s a considerably more complex process because it involves combining several long-exposure photographs taken throughout the night.
To do this, you need to make sure that the device has enough space to record at least one hour, i.e. several gigabytes of capacity.
Once you install the tripod, facing the radiant, activate the lens with the lowest magnification or focal length, as it is the one that captures the largest possible space to increase the chances of capturing a meteor.
Finally, activate ‘night mode’ or the equivalent setting that allows you to increase the light sensitivity of the camera and achieve greater exposure in the video.