Look Up: Leonid Meteor Shower Could Bring Up to 15 Meteors an Hour to Malaysian Skies

The moon is due to set over Malaysia at about 1.23am on Nov 18, and that is the moment the Malaysian Space Agency, known as Mysa, says the night sky gets interesting. The Leonid meteor shower is expected to peak on the night of Nov 17 into the early hours of Nov 18, and under favourable conditions around 15 meteors an hour could be visible.

The shower is active from Nov 6 to Nov 30 and can be seen from both hemispheres. What makes this year promising for Malaysian watchers is the timing of the moonset. Once the moon has gone down, the sky is darker, and fainter meteors that would be washed out by moonlight should be easier to pick out.

The name can mislead. Meteor showers have nothing to do with stars falling. The Leonids happen when Earth passes through debris left behind by comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. Tiny particles hit the atmosphere and burn up, producing bright streaks. The shower is named for the constellation Leo, the point from which the meteors appear to radiate, but they can cross almost any part of the sky. There is no need to hunt for one patch of stars.

Leonid meteors are fast, travelling at around 260,000kph. Some leave glowing trails that linger briefly after the meteor itself has disappeared.

Watching requires almost no equipment. Telescopes and binoculars narrow the field of view, which works against you when meteors can appear anywhere overhead. Your eyes, a dark location and patience are enough.

The advice for location is simple: get away from streetlights, buildings and heavily lit urban areas. Give your eyes 20 to 30 minutes to adjust to the dark, and avoid repeatedly checking a bright phone screen, which resets that adjustment.

The figure of 15 meteors an hour needs careful reading. It is not a guarantee. It assumes favourable viewing conditions, and someone watching from the middle of Kuala Lumpur, for example, may see considerably fewer. Mysa says the hours after 1.23am on Nov 18 should offer particularly good conditions, but cloud cover and light pollution will ultimately decide what anyone actually sees.

November weather in Malaysia may not cooperate. If the clouds stay away, though, the plan is to set an alarm, find somewhere dark and look up after the moon has set.