'Watch out for meteor showers'

MANILA, Philippines - Astronomy enthusiasts can watch out for the annual Leonids meteor showers this month, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said yesterday.

According to the weather bureau, Leonids can produce about 10 meteors per hour on Nov. 17 until dawn of the following day.

“Unlike the previous years where it produced hundreds of meteors, astronomers and experts do not predict many meteors this year,” it said.

PAGASA also said the last quarter moon on Nov. 18 will interfere with meteor viewing.

The Leonids meteor shower is created by bits of debris left behind by the repeat passages through the inner solar system of comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, it said.

The weather bureau added that a partial solar eclipse will also happen on Nov. 25 but will not be visible in the country. The partial eclipse of the sun can be observed from the southern part of South Africa, Antarctica and Tasmania.