Will the 2015 Leonid meteor shower produce the storm of the century? Here's your guide to viewing

In one week, Earth will pass through a stream of cosmic debris that will produce the Leonids meteor shower. Here's everything you need to know about the shower and how to view it.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - The Leonid meteor shower happens every year around November 18 and it reliably produces shows of 10-15 meteors per hour in most places. Spectacularly, the meteor shower is known for producing storms where dozens, or even thousands of meteors can be seen every minute.

The Leonids are debris shed by Comet Tempel-Tuttle which orbits the sun every 33 years. Its debris follows the orbit of the comet, and the Earth passes through this stream of debris every November. It happens that the orbit of Tempel-Tuttle intersects with Earth's meaning that the planet sometimes runs into dense packets of material, which causes the famous meteor storms associated with the comet.

The prospect for a meteor storm this year is low however, because Comet Tempel-Tuttle has not made any recent passes by Earth. Historically, we get the average of just 10-15 meteors per hour during these in-between periods. However, the meteors are occasionally bright and they're worth watching for anyway.

Meteor shower observing is also a great family activity.

In order to best view the shower, you will need to look for the planet Jupiter in the pre-dawn sky in the wee hours of Nov. 18. Jupiter will be low in the eastern sky as a bright yellow, or cream colored star. Above it will be the constellation Leo, the Lion, and its stars make a pattern that looks something like a backwards question mark.

The good news is even if you're an inexperienced stargazer, you can look any direction and see meteors. Unlike many other celestial events that occur in one specific part of the sky, this event is global and will be seen around the world. It will not matter where you look. However, if you see several meteors, you will notice they all come from one point in the sky. That point, called the radiant, is the source of the debris stream that is hitting the earth. Think of a hose pouring water, pointed straight at you.

The hours after midnight are best. Jupiter will rise in the early morning hours, so don't be disappointed if you don't see it right way. If you can't wait up for the wee hours, you can still hunt for meteors after dark, but you may only see a few per hour. This is because the spot where you stand on the planet won't be facing the stream directly, therefore you will see only a few that manage to arc around the horizon towards you.

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You can watch the meteor shower from anywhere, but a clear, dark sky is critical. You want to turn off all the lights around you because light from the ground will wash out the meteors and you will miss most of them. The best idea is to travel to a dark sky location, usually at a state park or the countryside where you can see the Milky Way. If you can see the Milky Way, you are in a decent spot. If you cannot see the Milky Way, your surrounding area has too many lights.

You will obviously want to dress warmly, if you live in the Northern Hemisphere. Many people use sleeping bags and pillows to view the shower. You can spend extended periods of time looking up at the sky and this can become uncomfortable. Lying down is the best way to avoid this discomfort.

Snacks, such as hot chocolate are nice to have and can help pass the time while you hunt meteors. A green laser pointer, can help an adult point out where they saw the meteors and other celestial objects. However, if using such a pointer, have care not to point it at aircraft as it is extremely dangerous to those flying. Only a responsible adult should use such a device.

Happy hunting!