The Leonid Meteor Shower lights up the sky
Seeing a shooting star is a memorable event. Yet watching a meteor shower is even better. For the entire month of November, the Leonid-Meteor shower, a semi-rare phenomenon, is active. The meteor shower peaked early this morning around 2am, shooting between 40-60 meteors an hour.
The Shower
Setting an alarm for 2.30am is a painful process yet it was worth every moment of pain. After all, this was a once in a lifetime event. The Leonid Meteor Shower happens every 33 years although astronomers predict that the shower could skip it’s next cycle and not happen again until 2099. Armed with hot chocolate, a friend and I drove out to Strawberry Park to get away from the light pollution of Steamboat Springs. The open fields and lack of light resulted in a star studded sky. The meteors were fast and furious leaving long tails of light as they streaked across the ski. They came out of nowhere and seemed to shoot out in every direction. Blink and you missed it. There wasn’t a person in sight and our only company were the coyotes howling in the distance. We lasted about 45 minutes before our fingers and toes froze and it was time to head home.
Tips for star gazing and watching the Leonid Meteor Shower
- Choose a clear night
- Dress for the cold
- Arm yourself with a hot beverage
- Bring a blanket
- Drive out to an area free from light pollution
- Looking for specific stars? Invest in a star gazing book
- Be patient!
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