Thick clouds to block view of Leonid meteor event

Thick clouds prevailing over some parts of the country might prevent skywatchers from witnessing the famous Leonid meteor showers tonight, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said yesterday.

Dr. Bernardo Soriano, chief of the agency’s atmospheric, geophysical and space sciences branch, said people in Luzon and the Visayas could miss the spectacular meteor display because of the thick clouds.

He, however, said the meteor showers might be witnessed in some areas in Western Mindanao.

The Leonid meteor showers are visible tonight until early morning tomorrow, according to PAGASA.

Soriano said the best time to view the showers is at 3 a.m. tomorrow.

“The Leonid meteor showers have been the most spectacular every year due to the high rate of meteors that sometimes exceeds 60 per hour,” Soriano said.

PAGASA said Leonid’s is one of the prolific meteor showers of the year. Its radiant is in the constellation Leo. A radiant is a point in space from which a meteor shower appears to originate.

“While this year’s shower may not be as spectacular as it has been in previous years, observers may still see fiery streaks of at least 15 to 20 meteors per hour that will surely fascinate them,” PAGASA said.