Science & Technology Desk: For sky-gazers observing the golden orb this weekend, the Leonid meteor shower could make for a spectacular bonus feature, according to the American Meteor Society. Because, it reaches its peak from Saturday night to early Sunday.

"Look halfway up the sky as most meteors will be seen in the lower half of the sky," so named as a nod to the creature's hibernation and thick mantle at this time of year. "See as late as possible before dawn rather than midnight as more Leonids can be seen."

For amateur astronomers who want to get involved in collecting data on space objects, Lunsford points to online fireball report forms that can help scientists study meteor shower activity, such as one from the International Meteor Organization.

"From these reports, astronomers get a better idea of ​​when Earth encounters these meteors and the strength of this activity," he added. "This allows them to make more accurate predictions for future Leonid showers."

According to the American Meteor Society, the Leonids will be visible in the night sky until the shower ends on December 2. But the moon will look full to the naked eye a day before and after its peak, said Noah Petro, head of NASA's Planetary Geology, Geophysics and Geochemistry Laboratory.

“There is a moment when the moon reaches its fullness, but if it's cloudy or you're busy, at any other time the day before, the evening after, or the next day, you can still see the beauty of the full moon. Matches the closest location. The moon appears slightly larger and brighter than average.

November's full moon will be the fourth consecutive supermoon this year and will be slightly further away than October's full moon, which was the closest moon in 2024 and was captured in photos around the world. But Beaver Moon can still offer a distinct sight to behold. Petro recommends watching the moon rise for a chance to see a “lunar illusion” as it rises above the horizon, where the supermoon appears larger than usual.

Scientists don't really know why this optical illusion occurs, but it's believed to be a result of a combination of how our brain compares visual information and the size of the moon to smaller objects near the horizon, such as trees or the roof of a house.

“We are still mapping the moon. We are still unraveling its mystery,” he said. “So when people go outside and look at the moon, know that you're not just looking at a wonderful object in the night sky, but somewhere around it are these tiny spacecraft that are staging our view of the moon and its history. "

The Leonid meteor shower produced 15 meteors per hour during its peak, but due to the full moon's light that will hamper visibility of fainter meteors, viewing conditions could yield about five per hour this weekend, said Robert Lunsford, fireball report coordinator for the American Meteor Society. For patient sky-gazers looking for a meteor detector, Lunsford suggests facing east with the moon out of your field of view.

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"Look halfway up the sky because most meteors will be seen in the lower half of the sky," Lunsford said in an email. "See as late as possible before dawn rather than midnight as more Leonids can be seen."

According to the American Meteor Society, the Leonids will be visible in the night sky until the shower ends on December 2.