Support Us Button Widget

Look to the skies for the Leonid meteor shower

The annual display has been occurring since early November, but will peak the night of Friday, Nov. 17 through the morning of Saturday, Nov. 18.

A fish eye photo of shooting stars across the night sky

The Leonids originate from a point in the Leo constellation’s mane.

Photo by Juraj Tóth

Alright, who made the wish upon a shooting star for a cloudless night in November? Because it really worked.

And it couldn’t have come at a more fortuitous time. With just a few passing puffs in the sky, meteorologists are predicting favorable viewing conditions for at least half the peak of the Leonid meteor shower, which starts Friday, Nov. 17.

Experts recommend catching the show in the late evening, away from light pollution and after the waxing crescent moon sets. Fun fact: During the meteor storm of 1833, the Earth crossed paths with the parent comet’s dust trail causing approx. 50,000 to 150,000 meteors to fall each hour.

More from PDXtoday
These city gifts are way better than a Jelly of the Month Club membership.
Baby, it’s cold outside — warm up with some of our favorite soups around Portland.
To help make your entire process at PDX as smooth as possible, we’ve created a guide that covers everything from gates and parking to details on the airport’s 70 nonstop flights.
Prepare for winter weather with these seasonal temperature and precipitation outlooks.