CINCINNATI â Annual meteor showers are the best times to see a meteor streak across the sky. Also called shooting stars, these fast, fleeting fiery visitors to Earthâs upper atmosphere can spark wonder in any stargazer â and the big and bright ones called fireballs are sure to elicit some, ohhs and aahs. Our next major meteor shower, the Leonids, is due to peak in mid-November â about nine days after a total lunar eclipse.
Nov. 8: A total lunar eclipse is coming
Before you start hunting meteors, the full moon will slide in the Earthâs shadow on the morning of Nov. 8 turning it all shades of eerie orange. This is the next total lunar eclipse and is one of the best astronomical events to see with the naked eye.
During a lunar eclipse, the Earth sits directly between the sun and moon and blocks out the sunlight from hitting the moon. When you look at the moon on Nov. 8, you can even see the curve of the Earthâs shadow slowly creep across the lunar surface, plunging mountains and craters into darkness. And when the moon is totally in the Earthâs shadow, it turns gray, pink, orange and even blood red as weak rays on sunlight bend through Earthâs atmosphere.
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Lunar eclipse timetable â Morning of Nov. 8 (Eastern)
- 4:09 a.m.: Partial lunar eclipse begins.
- 5:19 a.m.: Total lunar eclipse begins.
- 5:59 a.m.: Deepest part of the lunar eclipse.
- 6:41 a.m.: Total lunar eclipse ends.
- 7:49 a.m.: Partial lunar eclipse ends (viewable by Central, Mountain and Pacific time zones).
Remember, this occurs on the morning of Nov. 8 before sunrise. Donât miss it, because the next total lunar eclipse wonât happen until March 13, 2025.
Nov. 17-18: Leonid meteor shower
The Leonid Meteor shower peaks on the mornings of Nov. 17 and 18 when we pass through the tail of a comet called Tempel-Tuttle. Cometary pieces are mostly made of ice and dust and are so small that they completely burn up before hitting the ground. These are your classic âshooting starsâ that streak rapidly across the sky.Â
Meteor showers are notoriously fickle, so astronomers can rarely predict how active a shower will be. If youâre far from city lights on those mornings (midnight-5 a.m. are usually the best viewing times), you may be able to see 10-15 Leonids per hour. Binoculars and telescopes are not needed. Just face southeast, kick back in a comfy chair and start wishing upon a meteor.
Meteorites are SO rare
A meteor exists for only a brief moment. When a meteoroid, asteroid or comet plunges through Earthâs atmosphere and creates a âshooting star,â that is a meteor. You can wish upon it, but you have to be quick. Most meteors are only visible for a few seconds. When a meteor survives its fall and actually lands on the Earth, that is called a meteorite.
Meteorites fall to Earth on a daily basis, but finding one is extremely rare. The vast majority of meteorites fall into the ocean. And those that land on land are hard to notice. In the past 100 years, only one person has been struck by a meteorite and no one has been killed by falling space rocks.Â
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While most meteorites are small pebbles, the largest meteorite on Earth is located in Namibia. Called the Hoba meteorite, it is estimated to weigh about 60 tons. It is the largest single piece of naturally made iron on the planet and has never been moved.
The rarest meteorites found on Earth are actually from the planet Mars. A long time ago, meteoroids struck Mars so hard that they ejected material right off the planet. After thousands or even millions of years in space, these floating pieces of Mars crossed paths with Earth and crashed into our planet.Â
Space debris 101: Terms to know
- Comet â an icy body that produces a tail when close to the sun.
- Asteroid â a rocky or metallic body orbiting the sun.
- Meteoroid â a small asteroid.
- Meteor â an object falling through the Earthâs atmosphere aka a âshooting star.â
- Meteorite â an object from space that lands on the Earth.