Leonid meteor shower puts on a show Friday night

CLEVELAND - Every year in November, the Earth passes through a cloud of dust left behind by the comet Temple-Tuttle. As these specs of dust encounter our planet's atmosphere, they produce those streaks of light star gazers know as shooting stars.

And Friday night is the night! This annual show, known as the Leonid meteor shower, will peak Friday night between about midnight and 4 a.m. across the Eastern United States.

Sky watchers should have a great view of the show, the crescent moon will have set and the skies should be clear. That makes for perfect viewing. Experts say, during its peak, the Leonids should produce 10 to 20 shooting stars per hour.

The meteor shower gets its name from where the sparks are said to originate near the constellation Leo, the Lion. But observers should keep an eye on all parts of the sky. Temperatures will be in the 30s. So, grab a blanket, your favorite guy or gal, and a beverage, and head outside.

While the Leonids peak Friday night, experts say we will still see shooting stars for several more nights, although not in high numbers. In fact, there could be a secondary peak Tuesday night, as the earth encounters another concentrated band dust from Comet Temple Tuttle. Enjoy!