原田英語の時事英語ジュニア｜英語ニュース ワークシート（高校生レベル）
Class ____ No. ____ Name ____________________
しし座流星群2026はいつ？見ごろは11月18日の明け方 火球が多い流星群も
Comet Dust and Slow Fireballs Fill the November Sky
1Two meteor showers, the Leonids and the Taurids, can be seen this month, and moonlight will cause little trouble at their best times in Japan. Japan's National Astronomical Observatory says the Leonids will peak at around 9 a.m. on November 18. Because that is during the day in Japan, the best viewing time is the dark hours before dawn on the 18th, when the moon has already set.
2The observatory expects about five Leonids an hour, while the Royal Observatory Greenwich in Britain says 10 to 15 an hour are possible if the sky is clear and dark. The meteors are dust from Comet Tempel-Tuttle, which takes 33 years to circle the sun. NASA says the Leonids can produce a meteor storm, which it defines as at least 1,000 meteors an hour, and that the last one came in 2002.
3The Taurids behave very differently. They produce only about two meteors an hour, but a high share of them are fireballs. The Royal Observatory says the Taurid pieces are about the size of pebbles, so they enter the air slowly and glow brightly for a long time. Because they appear around the time of Halloween, they are sometimes called Halloween fireballs.
4The northern branch of the Taurids is expected to peak around November 12 or 13. A new moon comes on November 9. So there will be little moonlight that week. There will be a full moon on November 24. Venus will also reach its greatest brightness on November 30, shining in the sky before sunrise.
Words 単語
| astronomical外 | 形 | 天文の、天文学のabout the study of stars and space |
| dawnB2 | 名 | 夜明けthe time when the sky first gets light |
| behaveB1 | 動 | ふるまう、動くto act in a certain way |
| stormA2 | 名 | 嵐、（流星の）大出現a time when a very large number of things come at once |
| definesB1 | 動 | 定める、定義する（define の3人称単数）says exactly what a word means |
| produceA2 | 動 | 生み出す、作り出すto make or create something |
| shareA1 | 名 | 割合、取り分the part of a whole that something has |
| glowB2 | 動 | 光る、輝くto give out a soft, steady light |
| branchA2 | 名 | 分かれたもの、支流、枝one part that splits off from a bigger thing |
| pebblesB2 | 名 | 小石（pebble の複数形）small, round stones |
単語のレベル：CEFR-J（『CEFR-J Wordlist Version 1.6』 東京外国語大学投野由紀夫研究室. （URL: https://www.cefr-j.org/download.html より 2026年8月ダウンロード））
1. Reading Quiz 本文の内容に合うものを選ぼう
Why is the best time to see the Leonids before dawn on November 18?
A. Because the peak comes during the day in JapanB. Because the comet comes close that nightC. Because the full moon is bright that nightD. Because it is a holiday
According to NASA, what is a meteor storm?
A. At least 10 meteors an hourB. At least 100 meteors an hourC. At least 1,000 meteors an hourD. Meteors that fall in rain
Why do Taurid meteors move slowly and glow for a long time?
A. Because they are made of iceB. Because their pieces are about the size of pebblesC. Because they come from the moonD. Because they fall only on Halloween
When was the last Leonid storm, according to NASA?
A. In 1999B. In 2001C. In 2026D. In 2002
What will happen on November 30?
A. A new moonB. The peak of the LeonidsC. Venus will reach its greatest brightness.D. A Leonid meteor storm
2. True or False 正しければ T、違っていれば F
( ) The Royal Observatory Greenwich gives a higher number of Leonids an hour than the Japanese observatory.
( ) Comet Tempel-Tuttle takes 13 years to circle the sun.
( ) The Taurids produce more meteors an hour than the Leonids.
( ) There will be little moonlight in the week of November 9.
3. Fill in the Blanks 下の語から選んで空らんをうめよう（形を変えずに）
behavedawnglowstormproduceAstronomical
The Taurids _____ very differently.
NASA says the Leonids can produce a meteor _____, which it defines as at least 1,000 meteors an hour, and that the last one came in 2002.
Because that is during the day in Japan, the best viewing time is the dark hours before _____ on the 18th, when the moon has already set.
Japan's National _____ Observatory says the Leonids will peak at around 9 a.m. on November 18.
They _____ only about two meteors an hour, but a high share of them are fireballs.
The Royal Observatory says the Taurid pieces are about the size of pebbles, so they enter the air slowly and _____ brightly for a long time.
4. Word Order 語を並べかえて正しい文にしよう
( behave / Taurids / differently / very / The ) .
( A / November / comes / new / on / 9 / moon ) .
( will / be / there / that / little / moonlight / So / week ) .
5. Think and Write 英語で答えてみよう
Would you stay up late or wake up early to watch a meteor shower? Why?（流星群を見るために、夜ふかしや早起きをしますか。それはなぜ？）
Light from cities makes stars hard to see. Do you think towns should turn off some lights at night for stargazing? Why or why not?（町の明かりのせいで星は見えにくくなります。星を見るために、町は夜に明かりを一部消すべきだと思いますか。理由も言ってみよう。）
Answers 解答
1. (1) A (2) C (3) B (4) D (5) C
2. (1) T (2) F (3) F (4) T
3. (1) behave (2) storm (3) dawn (4) Astronomical (5) produce (6) glow
4.
- The Taurids behave very differently.
- A new moon comes on November 9.
- So there will be little moonlight that week.
全文訳
1今月はしし座流星群とおうし座流星群という2つの流星群が見られ、日本ではそれぞれのいちばんの見ごろに月明かりがほとんどじゃまをしません。国立天文台によると、しし座流星群は11月18日の午前9時ごろにピークになります。それは日本では昼間なので、いちばんの見ごろは18日の夜明け前の暗い時間です。そのころには、月はもうしずんでいます。
2国立天文台は1時間に5個ほどと予想していますが、イギリスのグリニッジ天文台は、晴れた暗い空なら1時間に10〜15個も見られる可能性があるとしています。この流れ星は、太陽を33年かけて1周するテンペル・タットル彗星のちりです。NASAによると、しし座流星群は「流星嵐」を起こすことがあり、NASAは1時間に1,000個以上を流星嵐と定めています。最後の流星嵐は2002年でした。
3おうし座流星群は、まったくちがうふるまいをします。流れ星は1時間に2個ほどしかありませんが、その中で火球の割合が高いのです。グリニッジ天文台によると、おうし座流星群のかけらは小石くらいの大きさなので、ゆっくり空気に入り、長いあいだ明るく光ります。ハロウィーンのころに出るので、「ハロウィーンの火球」と呼ばれることもあります。
4おうし座流星群の北のグループは、11月12日か13日ごろにピークになる見こみです。11月9日は新月です。そのため、その週は月明かりがほとんどありません。11月24日は満月です。金星も11月30日にいちばん明るくなり、日の出前の空でかがやきます。
文法ポイント：関係副詞 when の非制限用法（, when ～）
時を表す語のあとにコンマ＋when を置くと、「そしてそのとき～」と説明を足せる。本文の the dark hours before dawn on the 18th, when the moon has already set は「18日の夜明け前の暗い時間、そしてそのころには月はもうしずんでいる」。
出典：国立天文台、ウェザーニュース、Royal Observatory Greenwich、NASA ほか（記事は原田英語の時事英語ジュニアのオリジナル）｜https://www.haradaeigo.com/jijieigo-junior/news/2026-11-07-leonids-taurids-november/