On the evening of Tuesday, November 17, and into the morning of Wednesday, November 18, the Leonid meteor shower will hit its peak. The annual event, caused by bits of ice and rock burning in Earth’s atmosphere, will create a host of shooting stars above the eastern horizon around midnight in the U.S. (local time on both coasts, when the constellation Leo rises). Here’s our guide to the shower. Where To Look, And When Any single meteor might appear anywhere, but for the most part Tuesday’s shooting stars will appear to come from the constellation Leo—hence, “Leonids.” Leo will rise above the eastern horizon at about midnight local time across the continent. But meteors will be visible even before then. So if you're in the U.S. and the skies are clear, head out any time after sunset on Tuesday, November 17, and look east. Try to find a dark site away from street lights, or better yet, away from cities altogether. 
 
 Leo, the apparent origin point for the meteors, rises in the east at midnight. That’s the direction to look to maximize the chance of spotting a shooting star Tuesday night. (This chart shows the constellations at midnight local time for the mid-latitudes of the U.S.) Katie Peek / Popular Science 
 
 Likely Awesomeness Rating: Medium The Leonids peak every three decades, and this shower comes mid-cycle—the last peak was in 1998. So we won’t see a phenomenal number of shooting stars. (If you’re bummed about that, console yourself with some of the illustrations of the famous 1833 Leonid meteor storm—a pretty incredible event.) This year, NASA predicts we’ll see one meteor about every four minutes. That’s a moderate rate. But in this year’s favor, the moon will be a crescent, which means a darker sky that makes streaks of light easier to spot. Strike against: the current cloud-cover forecast predicts overcast skies for a good fraction of the U.S. that night. Why Now? The Leonids happen every year around November 17. That’s when the Earth passes through the cloud of debris left behind by the comet Tempel-Tuttle. Don’t worry about an actual impact—Tempel-Tuttle is currently further than Uranus. We’re just crossing its orbit. There’s no chance we’ll hit the comet itself. 
 
 The Leonid meteor shower happens in November each year because that’s when the Earth, moseying along its orbit, passes through the debris field of the comet Tempel-Tuttle. Katie Peek / Popular Science; orbits from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory database. ||||| CLOSE Stargazers can catch one of the year's best space shows with the peak of the Orionid meteor shower. USA TODAY 
 
 A bright Perseid meteor cuts across Orion's Belt during the peak of the annual Perseid meteor shower Aug. 12, 1997. (Photo: Wally Pacholka, AP) 
 
 Keep your eyes to the sky this weekend: You'll be able to see one of the year's best space shows — the peak of the Orionid meteor shower. 
 
 "The Orionids are popular among stargazers because all of its individual shooting stars are fragments of the most famous comet of all time, Halley's Comet," Slooh astronomer Bob Berman said. 
 
 The shower should be visible both Friday and Saturday nights, and the best viewing will be between midnight and dawn. 
 
 Though the meteors will emanate from the eastern horizon, they will streak across the entire sky and will be visible from anywhere on Earth, according to NASA. By dawn, they should be high in the Southern sky, Sky and Telescope said. 
 
 From a dark site, you might see a maximum of about 10 to 15 meteors per hour, said Bruce McClure of EarthSky. 
 
 The meteors that streak across the sky are some of the fastest and brightest among meteor showers because the Earth is hitting the stream of particles almost head-on, according to Space.com. 
 
 As the comet moves through space, it leaves debris in its wake that strikes Earth’s atmosphere most fully around Oct. 20-22, each year. Although the comet itself is nowhere near Earth, we're now intersecting the comet’s orbit. 
 
 If the meteors originate from Halley's, why are they called the Orionids? "Meteors in annual showers are named for the point in our sky from which they appear to radiate," according to EarthSky's Deborah Byrd. "The radiant point for the Orionids is in the direction of the famous constellation Orion the Hunter." 
 
 This year will be a particularly good year for viewing the Orionids since the peak of the shower falls just days after the new moon, meaning there will be little natural light pollution for the shower to compete with, AccuWeather said. 
 
 Another bonus: Skywatchers across the highly populated eastern U.S. should have clear skies for viewing the Orionids, according to AccuWeather meteorologist and astronomy blogger Dave Samuhel. Temperatures are also on the mild side. 
 
 Clear skies are also expected across much of the southwestern U.S., while clouds create issues for those trying to view the shower in the northwestern and central U.S., AccuWeather said. 
 
 If you miss this shower, you can still catch the Leonids in November and the Geminds in December. 
 
 The best viewing for the Orionid meteor shower should be in the eastern and southwestern U.S. (Photo: AccuWeather) 
 
 Read or Share this story: https://usat.ly/2yBqMpu ||||| Halley’s Comet won’t make a full return to the skies until 2061. But tonight, you can catch a glimpse of it in the Orionid meteor shower. 
 
 Earth is currently passing through a patch of debris created in the wake of the comet’s tail. When that debris hits our atmosphere, it will burn up and spray the night sky with light. 
 
 This year, the shower will peak overnight Saturday into early Sunday morning, with 15 to 20 meteors per hour. If the skies are clear, some meteors will be visible Friday night into Saturday morning as well. 
 
 These meteors are named “Orionid” because they appear to emanate out of the constellation Orion, which takes the shape of a hunter wearing a most-fetching three-star belt. (Specifically, they appear to radiate from his “club.”) It’s one of the most recognizable constellations in the night sky. 
 
 We come across this patch of debris again in May, when the skies light up with the Eta Aquarid meteor shower. 
 
 NASA notes these are “fast” meteors, traveling at about 148,000 mph as they smash into our atmosphere. “Fast meteors can leave glowing ‘trains’ (incandescent bits of debris in the wake of the meteor) which last for several seconds to minutes,” the space agency explains. 
 
 That’s cool. But even cooler: “Fast meteors can also sometimes become fireballs: Look for prolonged explosions of light when viewing the Orionid meteor shower.” 
 
 You’ll want to be in as dark of a place as you can get to, like a park far away from city lights. Check out this light pollution map to chart out a dark place to watch. The Washington Post also has a handy map predicting what regions of the country will be free of cloud cover. Check it out. 
 
 And you don’t need to be looking directly at the constellation Orion to spot the meteors. They’ll be shooting off in all directions. But if you stay up past midnight, Orion will climb higher and higher in the sky, and the meteors will be easier to spot. Just before dawn — after the moon sets around 5 am — may be the best, darkest, time of all to watch. (Check when the moon sets in your area at timeanddate.com.) 
 
 Just find a dark spot, lie down, and look up. NASA suggests to generally gaze in a southeastern direction. 
 
 And bring a sleeping bag. It might get cold! If you miss this meteor shower, no worries. Next up are the Leonids, which peak around November 17.
– Get ready to tune your eyes on the sky: The annual Leonid meteor shower will hit its peak overnight on Tuesday, sending shooting stars above the eastern horizon around midnight local time on both coasts. Unfortunately, clouds will cover much of the skies across the US, but those in areas with a clear forecast will enjoy a dark backdrop for the colorful meteors thanks to a crescent moon. NASA predicts there will be about 15 meteors per hour, or one every four minutes, at peak time. If you can't make it until midnight, some meteors will also be visible to the east after sunset, reports Popular Science.