Friday, November 17th -
Here Come The Leonids...
Every
year around this time, Earth glides through a
minefield of debris from Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle.
On the evening of Saturday, Nov. 18th, Earth will
graze a cloud of comet dust, producing an outburst
of Leonid meteors.
The
annual Leonid
Meteor Shower is one of the best showers each
year. If
forecasters are correct, the outburst will peak
around 9:45 p.m. MST on Nov. 18th. While the
timing favors observers in Europe, Brazil and the
Atlantic coast of North America, who could see as
many as 100 meteors per hour, sky-watchers across
the globe will be watching.
Although the Leonid shower is
expected to peak sharply on Nov. 18th, keep an eye
on the sky at other times, too. Leonids may appear
in fits and spurts all weekend long. The best time
to watch, generally speaking, is during the hours
before dawn when the constellation Leo is high in
the sky.
Do not believe everything you
read. While meteor forecasters have done a
splendid job predicting Leonid outbursts in recent
years, sometimes "nailing the peak within
minutes", they could be wrong in 2006. The
outburst might happen at an unexpected time or it
might be better than expected. Enthusiasts
everywhere are urged to keep an eye out for Leonid
meteors the nights of Nov. 17th – 19th.
