Leonid meteor shower nears November 2025 peak
Skywatchers: the Leonid meteor shower, which began producing visible meteors in early November, is heading toward its peak in mid‑November 2025. The shower is caused by Earth passing through debris from comet 55P/Tempel‑Tuttle and is notable for bright, fast meteors rather than very high meteor counts.
According to the American Meteor Society, the Leonids were active from Nov. 6 and are expected to remain active through at least Nov. 30. The Planetary Society forecasts the peak between Sunday, Nov. 16, and Monday, Nov. 17, 2025. The display will be visible from both the Northern and Southern hemispheres.
Under dark skies, observers can typically expect about 3–15 meteors per hour, with particles blazing through the atmosphere at nearly 44 miles per second (roughly 70 km/s). In addition to ordinary meteors, the Leonids can produce bright fireballs and dramatic, low‑slanting “Earth‑grazers” that leave long, colorful trails close to the horizon.
What about meteor storms?
The Leonids are historically capable of rare meteor storms — roughly 1,000 meteors per hour — but those events require fresh debris released when Tempel‑Tuttle reaches perihelion (its closest approach to the sun). That occurs roughly every 33 years. The last documented Leonid storm was in 2002, and the American Meteor Society estimates Earth is unlikely to encounter similarly dense debris until around 2099. Tempel‑Tuttle returns to perihelion in 2031, which could affect activity, but a storm is not expected in 2025.
Moon and viewing conditions
Moonlight should not be a major issue for the 2025 peak: the waning crescent will be only about 9% illuminated, dim enough that fainter meteors should remain visible under dark skies.
Practical viewing tips (from NASA and other experts)
- Best times: usually from around midnight to pre‑dawn. Use TimeAndDate.com or local astronomy resources for exact times and directions for your location.
- Find a dark site away from city lights and light pollution.
- Dress warmly and bring a blanket, sleeping bag or reclining chair for comfort.
- Lie on your back with your feet pointed east and scan as much sky as possible; meteors will appear across the sky.
- Allow about 30 minutes for your eyes to adapt to the dark, then be patient — the show can continue until dawn.
Why meteors happen
Meteor showers occur when Earth crosses dusty streams left by comets and small bodies. Those fragments, called meteoroids, strike Earth’s atmosphere at high speed and burn up, producing bright streaks called meteors. If a fragment survives to reach the ground it is called a meteorite. The Leonids’ debris originates from comet 55P/Tempel‑Tuttle, discovered independently in 1865 and 1866.
Other upcoming showers
- Geminids: active Dec. 1–21; peak Dec. 13–14, 2025.
- Ursids: active Dec. 16–26; peak Dec. 21–22, 2025.
- Quadrantids: activity begins Dec. 26, 2025; peak on Jan. 3, 2026.
With clear, dark skies and a little planning, observers in both hemispheres should have a good chance to see the Leonids’ fast, bright meteors during the Nov. 16–17, 2025 peak.
Sources: American Meteor Society, NASA, The Planetary Society, TimeAndDate.com.
