Leonid Meteor Shower 2022

The Leonid meteor shower 2022 occurs once a year during the month of November. This celestial phenomenon normally peaks during the night of November 17 and early morning of November 18. When the Earth passes through the debris left by the comet Tempel-Tuttle, the Leonids occur. It takes the comet approximately 33 years to complete one full orbit around the Sun. The meteor shower is called Leonids because the meteors appear to be coming from the constellation Leo. The Leonids may be seen from both hemispheres, and at their height, you should see roughly 20 meteors each hour. The ideal time to see the Leonids is after dark, and OC Astronomy recommends lying down on the ground and looking towards the sky between the East and the point directly above you.

Visibility should be good for the night of the 17th – 18th and for the coming weeks to come.

The table below shows the exact direction of the Leonids from Orange County.

Leonids meteor shower for Orange County (Night between November 17 and November 18)
Time	Azimuth/ Direction	Altitude
Fri 12:00 midnight	70°	10.1°
Fri 1:00 am	78°	22.1°
Fri 2:00 am	85°	34.4°
Fri 3:00 am	93°	46.9°
Fri 4:00 am	104°	59.3°
Fri 5:00 am	123°	70.7°
Fri 6:00 am	170°	78.0°

Direction to see the Leonids in the sky:

• Azimuth is the direction, based on true north; a compass might show a slightly different value.
• Altitude is height in degrees over horizon.