The Leonid meteor shower will peak between midnight and dawn next Monday, November 17, when its radiant point rises above the eastern horizon. However, the number of meteors will continue to decrease until the 30th.

The Leonids showcase one of the most prolific annual astronomical events, with large numbers of fast-moving, bright meteors visible to the naked eye.

The shower is created by the Comet Tempel-Tuttle, which during its passage around the Sun, leaves a path of tiny debris, some as small as a grain of sand. As the earth passes through this path the fast-moving debris enters the earth’s atmosphere and burns up.

The Leonids are so-called because they appear to originate from the constellation Leo.

Although the Leonids are a major meteor storm, scientists estimate that on average about 48.5 tons (44 tonnes or 44,000 kilograms) of meteoritic material falls to Earth every day of the year. Almost all the material is vaporised in Earth’s atmosphere creating what are known as meteors.