Meteors during the Leonid shower are considered to be some of the fastest to appear each year, NASA said, as they travel at about 44 miles per second across the night sky, and they are known for their fireballs—caused by larger debris—that are often brighter and leave behind “long and colorful tails.”

This particular shower comes from Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, which takes about 33 years to orbit around the sun and back near Earth, according to NASA's website. The comet was "discovered" twice: first in 1865 by Ernst Temple and then in 1866 by Horace Tuttle, which is where the comet's namesake comes from.

WASHINGTON — It's a treat to see a supermoon. But that bright glowing orb will still be almost full when the Leonid meteor shower peaks this weekend, likely obscuring all but the brightest meteors in most locations. The Leonids are known for their high-speed meteors, which can travel at up to 44 miles per second (70 kilometers per second).