The Leonid meteor shower peaks last night in the eastern sky.
You’ll just need dark skies so leave the telescopes and binoculars at home.
Hannah Marye, an astronomy instructor at Talcott Mountain Science Center in Avon, said the Leonids is named after the constellation Leo, where meteors appear to emerge from.
“That happens because the earth is actually passing through a giant cloud of dust and debris left behind by Comet Tempel–Tuttle in outer space," Marye said.
Get Connecticut local news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Connecticut newsletters.
That dust and debris burn up in the atmosphere, creating the streaks of light that we see as shooting stars.
However, the nearly full moon will likely decrease the number of meteors we see, "you should still be able to see a number of meteors, it just means you’ll have to be more patient. You might not see as many as you normally would" Marye said.
Marye estimates good viewing around midnight, but if you’re up late, try and look after the moon sets early Wednesday morning.
