Attention stargazers! The Leonid Meteor Shower will peak this weekend, and the Ozarks should have perfect viewing conditions early Saturday morning.

The Leonid Meteor shower will peak during the early morning hours of Saturday and Sunday, November 18-19, 2023. 10-15 meteors are expected per hour.

You will want to look to the northeast. Because of the crescent moon, the sky should be extra dark for peak viewing.

Each November, the Earth passes through a trail of space dust, which was emitted from the Tempel-Tuttle Comet four centuries ago. The meteor shower is known to be highly unpredictable and surprising. Every 33 years a strong meteor storm produces more meteors to view.

The next storm is expected in 2034.

In 1833, the Leonid Meteor Shower was so spectacular, that people believed the Earth was coming to an end. Around 150,000 meteors an hour were lighting up the night sky into the early morning hours.

Another strong storm was in 1966 when several thousand meteors per minute left viewers awestruck.

In the Ozarks, we are expecting clear conditions early Saturday morning. By Saturday night, clouds will increase and make for less-than-ideal viewing conditions early Saturday.