Tonight and over the weekend may be a great time for meteor watchers. It’s the middle of the Leonid Meteor shower, and this year the show could be more impressive than usual.
As a comet travels in its circular path, it drops off small particles which, over centuries, may eventually trail through the comet’s entire orbit. When the earth intersects this path you have a meteor shower. We pass through the orbit of the comet Tempel-Tuttle every November.
The picture on the left is of a Leonid fireball, taken from a DC-8 during the 2002 meteor shower. You can’t get quite that good a view from the ground, but some years meteor shows are truly impressive.
There’s almost no moon this weekend, so there won’t be much visual competition. If you can get completely away from city lights you can see twice as many meteors. The best times should be just before midnight. Just remember — dress warm.
For More Information:
The Heavens on Fire: The Great Leonid Meteor Storms
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