Vietnam set to witness meteor shower tonight
VOV.VN - Local sky gazers will have a unique opportunity to witness the peak of the Leonids meteor shower which will occur between midnight on November 17 and the morning of November 18.
According to Dang Vu Tuan Son, president of the Vietnam Astronomy & Cosmology Association (VACA), the event will occur when the Earth passes through the debris left by Comet Tempel-Tuttle.
He added that the comet takes around 33 years to orbit once around the Sun.
Time and Date website noted that the shower is called Leonids because it is radiant and is the point in the sky where the meteors seem to emerge from in the Leo constellation.
It added that observers don't need any special equipment or a lot of skill to view the upcoming meteor shower. The process is simple, and people can find a secluded viewing spot, away from the city lights, with the meteor shower peaking on the night of November 17 with the appearance of about 30 meteors per hour.
As scheduled, sky gazers will also have chance to admire the Geminids, the largest meteor shower of the year, in December. At its peak on the night of December 13 and in the early morning of December 14, the Geminids meteor shower can bring up to 100 to 120 meteors per hour.