How to Watch the Leonid Meteor Shower
Look up — the sky is putting on a show. Each November the Leonid meteor shower streaks across the heavens, producing bright, fast meteors that appear to radiate from the constellation Leo the Lion. These shooting stars are tiny fragments from Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, which returns to the inner solar system roughly every 33 years.
When to watch
The Leonids are active from Nov. 3 through Dec. 3, 2025, with peak activity overnight on Nov. 16 into the early hours of Nov. 17. The best viewing window is after midnight through the pre-dawn hours, when Leo's radiant climbs higher and more meteors become visible.
Why this year is favorable
This year's viewing conditions are especially good because the Moon will be a thin crescent and the new moon arrives on Nov. 20, meaning moonlight should not significantly wash out fainter meteors. Expect the darkest skies — and the most visible streaks — in the hours just before sunrise.
How to see the shower
- No telescope needed: Meteors are best seen with the naked eye.
- Find dark skies: Move away from city lights to a wide, open area — a park, beach, or countryside spot works well.
- Give your eyes time: Allow 20–30 minutes for your eyes to adapt to the dark.
- Lie back and look wide: While meteors appear to radiate from Leo, they can show up anywhere in the sky, so take in as much of the sky as possible.
- Be patient: Under ideal conditions you might see up to about a dozen meteors per hour; occasional outbursts can produce many more.
Quick tips
Dress warmly, bring a reclining chair or blanket, and avoid looking at bright screens. If you're in a heavily light-polluted area, consider traveling to the nearest dark-sky site for the best experience.
What to expect
The Leonids are among the fastest meteor showers, producing bright, often colorful streaks as tiny cometary particles burn up in Earth's atmosphere. While a typical peak yields roughly several meteors per hour to a dozen per hour under dark skies, the Leonids are also known for occasional intense displays in some years.
Next major shower: The Geminid meteor shower peaks on Dec. 13–14.
