The last quarter moon appears close to the bright planet Jupiter tonight, and it’s a late night attraction. The two rise side by side in the eastern sky after midnight. There is no mistaking Jupiter, as it is the brightest object in the sky, except for the moon. Both are in the zodiacal constellation Leo, a zodiacal constellation we associate with late winter.

There aren’t many planets to see this month as the other usual visible planets are too close to the horizon and/or too close to the sun to see. Jupiter is this autumn’s centerpiece.

The constellation Leo is not only hosting the appearance of Jupiter and the Moon this weekend, but it is also hosting the Leonid Meteor Shower. The shower is expected to peak Monday evening into Tuesday morning.

This year’s Leonid Meteor Shower is nothing like the large shower from years earlier. Astronomers are predicting you’ll see a small number, anywhere from 10 to 15 meteors in one hour of watching. If you see two or three during the hour, you are doing well. The best time to look is when dark sets in, or even better, closer to midnight or later.

Leonid meteors are very bright and fast. The meteors appear to radiate from the constellation Leo which rises around midnight. But the meteors don’t come from Leo, as astronomers thought centuries ago. These meteors are the remnants of a comet called 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, a comet that is caught in a 33-year elliptical orbit around the sun. It takes 33 years for the comet to make one orbit around the sun. Once a year, the Earth passes through that comet’s orbit which is why we get this annual show.