Could New York State Witness An Event Called a ‘Meteor Storm’?

We are in the middle of meteor season, as the Orionids will continue to streak through late November. In addition, both the Northern and Southern Taurids meteor showers are happening right now, with both producing a few meteors per hour on average.

But while these annual meteor events can give you a glimpse of an occasional shooting star or two, a far more unpredictable shower is one the way. The next shower has been known to produce something called 'meteor storms' during past events, as the American Meteor Society says every "passing year also presents new possibilities".

Could New York State Witness An Event Called a 'Meteor Storm'? 

Scientists say that the Leonids meteor shower will become active from November 3 to December 2, with its peak occurring on the nights of November 16 and 17. The Leonids usually produce around 10 to 15 meteors an hour.

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The Leonids are occasionally known to produce something called meteor storms, with the most recent one occurring in 2002. The AMS says that these "outbursts of meteor activity" come when the Earth follows an unusually dense part of the parent object's (Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle) debris cloud.

Astronomers says that during those events, tens of thousands of meteors fall across the skies like "rain". Some feel the Leonids will not produce any of these meteor storms again until 2099, though there are still upticks in activity expected when the comet comes closer to the Sun.

However, the AMS says that a waning gibbous Moon will "rise during the late evening hours and will spoil the best viewing hours for this shower."

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