The Leonid meteor shower is expected to hit its peak Monday night (Nov. 17) and Tuesday morning (Nov. 18) with 10 to 15 meteors shooting across the sky within an hour.

The shower is called the Leonids because the meteors arise in the head of the constellation, Leo the Lion. It will occur when the Earth moves through dust grains left behind by comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle.

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The comet is only about 2.5 miles in diameter and orbits every 33 years through the inner solar system and around the sun.

Leonids travel at high speeds, thus increasing the chance to see stunning fireballs streaking through the sky. Stargazers will see gold and turquoise streaks cutting through the dark.

You can watch the Leonids before dawn on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday morning.

The best time to watch the meteor shower is on November 17 is between midnight and 2:30 a.m. when the moon rises. On November 18, the best viewing will be between midnight and 3:20 a.m.

Aside from the Leonids, we'll notice what seems the sky's brightest star less than a fist-width above it. It's not a star, however.

It's the planet Jupiter and a slender crescent Moon. Using binoculars will reveal two to three little dots in a line. These are the Jupiter's four major moons: Io, Europa, Ganymede and Callisto.

The greatest Leonids meteor shower of all time occurred in 1996.

TagsLeonid meteor shower, meteor shower, Jupiter's four big moons, Io, Europa, Ganymede, Callisto, meteors, leonids, Leonid meteor shower Monday Tuesday