Taipei, Nov. 17 (CNA) Stargazers in Taiwan will have a chance to catch the Leonid meteor shower as it reaches its peak from 11 p.m. Sunday until early Monday, according to the Taipei Astronomical Museum (TAM).
Also known as the Leonids, the astrological phenomenon takes place annually around November. This year it is the most active between Nov. 6 and Nov. 30, said the TAM in a press release.
The Leonids are known to be fast meteors that can sometimes become fireballs -- brighter-than-usual meteors, it noted.
The meteor shower is caused by Comet Tempel-Tuttle, which sweeps through the inner solar system every 33 years. The Leonids are best known for producing spectacular meteor storms in 1833, 1866, 1966, 1999, and 2001.
However, the comet is not due to pass through the inner solar system again until 2031, so this year's Leonids are expected to show only low activity, with around 15 meteors per hour, the TAM said. This year's Leonids will also be outshone by the moon, it added.
The museum suggested that stargazers go to areas where there is relatively little light, to increase their chances of seeing as many meteors as possible. The best viewing times are between 11 p.m. to early Monday before sunrise, according to the museum.
It will also live-stream the meteor shower on its website from a mountainous location in the Lishan area of Heping District, Taichung City in central Taiwan.
