Meteors start out as tiny specks of dust and debris ejected by Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. Every November, Earth passes through this stream of dust. In turn, the said dust or particles hit our atmosphere at 147,000 mph (238,000 km/h) and vaporize because of friction with the air. Streaks of light in the sky we call meteors are usually the products of such activity. If to trace the meteor paths backward, they appear to emanate from the constellation Leo the Lion (hence the name Leonid).

Meteor-watchers will once again get a good glimpse of the Leonid Meteor Shower if good weather permits this November 17. It is predicted that the meteor shower will appear between 1:3AM EST and sunrise with a considerable spike in numbers this 2009.

According to Astronomy Senior Editor Richard Talcott, “If the weather cooperates, viewing conditions should be nearly ideal. Observers normally can see 20 to 30 meteors per hour at the peak, but rates could spike considerably this year.” On the other hand, predicting the number of meteors is akin to predicting the number of snowflakes in a storm. Lucky observers could see hundreds of meteors, but unluckier ones might see only a dozen.

[via ShowbizGossips.com. Photo Credit: Filan]