Every year, in November, amateur and more experienced astronomers scan the night sky in the hope of seeing shooting stars. With excellent chances of admiring them since the Leonid rain will once again light up the sky.
The Leonids are one of the most remarkable showers of shooting stars of the year: at their peak, they produce up to 20 meteors per hour, explains the specialist site Starwalk. Meteors are characterized by their particularly long and bright trail and by their speed, since they travel at around 71 km/s.
If the Leonid shower is active from the beginning of November to the beginning of December, it is between November 16 and 17, therefore this weekend, that they will produce their peak, with 15 to 20 meteors per hour. While shooting stars appear to emanate from the constellation Leo (hence their name), they will actually be visible throughout the sky, as long as you have a clear view of them, according to Starwalk.
To admire the spectacle, however, you will have to wait until the sky is very dark, if possible far from towns or in the mountains. Problem this year, the Moon risks spoiling the vision a little since it will be almost full, therefore very bright.
But at least the weather should be good. Although fog risks covering the Plateau, the weather promises to be clear on Saturday above 800 meters, announces MétéoSwiss, with even “excellent visibility in the mountains”. So you might as well enjoy the show on Saturday evening, especially since Sunday promises to be more disrupted.
