By Blaine P. and Friedlander Jr. November 1 at 5:13 PM

Grab your gloves, a coat and fresh coffee: In mid-November, the Washington skies will feature a modest few shooting stars darting across the heavens. The annual Leonid meteor shower occurs the night of Nov. 17-18.

The Leonids have produced some of historys most spectacular meteor storms, but astronomers from the American Meteor Society and the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada predict as in most years a normal, tame shower this year, with between 15 and 20 falling stars an hour at peak. In realistic terms, that means youll catch a handful each hour.

Hopefully well have a clear night. Find a dark place, allow your eyes to acclimate to the night and look up. Sip that coffee slowly because youll need to be patient. For us here on the East Coast, the showers official peak will be early evening Nov. 17, but you should see a skittering meteor or two even after the official peak for several hours.

Meteors happen when the Earth, on its annual trek around the sun, smacks into the dusty trails left behind by comets. These dirt particles strike our atmosphere and burn up thats when we see brilliant streaks of light. As the American Meteor Society explains, the Leonids are often bright meteors with a high percentage of persistent trains. Also, the moon will be out of the way, making viewing easier.

In the case of the Leonids, the parent is Comet Tempel-Tuttle. Horace P. Tuttle, a co-discoverer, was an astronomer at the U.S. Naval Observatory after the Civil War. He died in 1923 and is buried in an unmarked grave in Falls Church. (German astronomer Wilhelm Tempel was the other discoverer.)

Early in November, the big gaseous Jupiter rises in the east around midnight. Coincidently, the planet loiters near the front paws of the constellation Leo. (The Leonids are named from the constellation Leo, from whence the shooting stars appear to emanate.) Jupiter can be seen quite well at negative second magnitude, very bright. By mid-month, the planetary king ascends our heavens around 11 p.m., and by months end, the planet climbs into prime time, rising around 10:15 p.m.

With a good view of the southeastern horizon, catch the fleet Mercury in the morning early in November. At about 6 a.m. Monday, for example, this quick little planet is about 11 degrees above the southeastern horizon, at zero magnitude. By the end of this week, it sinks a few degrees to start the day, making it hard to observe by mid-November.

Our reddish neighbor Mars lazily lollygags low above the horizon after sunset in the southwestern sky. The red planet is now near first magnitude (dim), setting after 8 p.m. this month. Venus is hard to see, and Saturn is lost in the suns glare now.

Down-to-Earth events

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Leonid meteor shower in mid-November expected to be tame