Experts are predicting that hundreds of meteors will grace the skies tonight (Nov. 21) in a rare event known as the "unicorn" meteor shower.

The Monocerotid meteor shower happens every year between Nov. 21 and Nov. 23, but it typically lights up the sky with only a couple of meteors. It’s been called the "Unicorn" meteor shower because it can be seen in the night sky near the unicorn constellation, Monoceros. (near Orion)

These meteors originate in the dust trail a 'mysterious' comet that takes over 200 years to travel around the sun. Once in a while, this comet's trail of dust gets close enough to Earth's orbit and can create a burst of meteors, and conditions might be perfect for hundreds of meteors tonight in just a few minutes time.

Some experts are claiming that there could be 400 meteors blazing through the sky tonight within a 40-minute time period. Others are predicting the potential of 1,000 meteors.

According to CNN, the exact time of the outburst has been set to begin around 10:50 tonight, with the peak lasting for about 15 minutes. Those living in South America, eastern North America, Western Europe and northwestern Africa will have the best view.

The large outbursts of this shower previously occurred in 1925, 1935, 1985 and 1995.

These meteors will be streaking through the skies at 140,927 miles per hour.

Allow yourself time for your eyes to adjust to the dark. And you won't need binoculars or telescopes to enjoy the show. Orion will be just waking up on the Eastern Horizon in Iowa this time of the year in the evening, so it will be low in the night sky.

Credit: TheNightSkyGuy via YouTube

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