In the predawn hours between Nov. 16 and Nov. 17, stargazers will enjoy a moon that is just past new, affording them a good look at the impressive Leonids meteor shower. Commonly known as shooting stars, meteor showers range in visibility and quantity — scientists expect Nov. 17’s Leonids meteor shower to be an exceptional display. Since astronomical events can be surprisingly easy to miss, here is a guide to meteor showers for a different variety of all-nighter.

What exactly is a meteor shower?

Comets often enter our solar system. In the process, energy from the sun vaporizes parts of these collections of ice, rock and spacedust into debris. This process gives comets their iconic dust tail. As Matipon Tangmatitham, astronomy Ph.D. student and senior member of the Cornell Astronomy Club wrote in an e-mail, “Once in a while, the Earth’s orbit intersects these debris fields and these meteoroids suddenly enter the Earth’s atmosphere at high speed and shine brightly as they burn in the atmosphere.”

How many meteors will we see?

Astronomers reportedly recorded 100,000 meteors per hour during the Leonids meteor shower of 1833. The display was enough to cause many to believe that it was the end of the world. While hopefully not as apocalyptic, next week’s meteor shower is estimated to have a respectable 500 meteors per hour. According to the magazine Astronomy, while the best viewing of the meteor shower will be over Asia and Africa, North America will certainly not be left out.

So now that you are excited — how can you see the Leonids meteor shower?

While this might come as no surprise to students from major cities, according to Tangmatitham, campus light pollution makes meteor watching difficult. He recommended leaving campus if possible for the best results.

You may also want to leave your cell phones and iPods behind. The white lights take away from your eyes’ ability to see in the dark, temporarily obscuring your view of the meteors.

“Observing meteor showers requires patience, since it is not something that one can just look at. You are most likely going to spend hours outside in the dark … [a] meteor shower is best viewed by simply lying down,” Tangmatitham said, recommending blankets and sleeping bags.

However, leaving campus is not your only option. Cornell Astronomical Society is planning a special open house for the Leonids at Fuertes observatory in North Campus. If you want to learn more about meteors before Leonids, Ask an Astronomer is hosting an “Ask an Astronomer, LIVE!” session at Pixel Lounge in Collegetown on Nov. 14 from 8-9:30 p.m.