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Coming Soon: Spectacular Meteors By Elan Lohmann

2:00 a.m. Oct. 31, 2001 PST The United States can look forward to the most spectacular meteor show since 1966 -- and it might be another 98 years before anything so sensational will be seen again.

The Nov. 18 Leonid meteor shower will be "very impressive, rare and something that you'll want to see," said Peter Jenniskens, a research scientist specializing in the study of meteors at the NASA/Ames Research Center at California's Moffett Field.

"The August Perseids meteor shower, which normally gets the most annual astronomer attention, records a rate of about 80 meteors an hour, but this November's Leonids will record a rate over 2000," Jenniskens said.

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Viewing conditions in the United States are expected to be sublime this year. One reason for this is the new moon, which falls on Nov. 18, when the sky will be its darkest.

A typical Leonid shower yields about 10 to 15 meteors per hour, but this year Jenniskens estimates the meteor shower will have as many as 4,200 an hour at its peak. Viewers along the East Coast will likely see the meteors fall directly from above, while in the West they will shoot across the sky at an angle.

The perfect viewing time is estimated to be between 4 and 6 a.m. EST, on Nov. 18.

"It is a naked-eye event. All one needs is a clear dark sky away from the city lights to enjoy the phenomena," Jenniskens said.

For a sneak preview, a good resource is the Leonid Flux Estimator, produced by the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence/NASA Ames center. Tools on the site will calculate the best locations for viewing, the optimal spots from any town and how active the shower is expected to be in that area.

The whole show should last 2 hours and create the effect of Earth moving through a trail of dust, Jenniskens said.

An ordinary meteor showers occurs when Earth passes through debris left behind by comets. But this year, the Earth will be passing through particularly dense ribbons of comet debris.

The Leonid storm will occur when the Earth passes through a trail of tiny dust particles left behind by Comet Tempel-Tuttle during its passage in 1767.

Tempel-Tuttle orbits the sun every 33.25 years, shedding dust particles as it is warmed by sunlight. It first crossed the Earth's orbit in 860 A.D. The earth passes through some of the trail every year, but this year it will be particularly close.

Jenniskens said the next major Leonid storm will occur again in 2099, which will be one of its last tours. "The comet will then leave the Earth's orbit for good," he said.

In November 1833, the show was so spectacular many eyewitnesses feared the world was coming to an end. In 1966, Americans viewed another excellent stellar show, while in 1999, Europe witnessed an epic series of showers.

Jenniskens will be participating in the NASA-sponsored 2001 Leonid Multi Instrument Aircraft (MAC) mission, to be launched out of Edwards Air Force Base.

The 2001 Leonid MAC campaign follows a highly successful airborne campaign during the 1999 storm visible throughout Europe, when more than 4,000 meteors rained through the sky at its peak. It was the first to be observed by modern observing techniques.

"Only an airborne mission can bring scientists to the right place at the right time to view the Leonids, and guarantee clear weather," Jenniskens said.

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

Answers

GOODIE! Now that I live out in the boonies, I can see it all!

I love to look at the night sky away from the lights. I'll be sure to watch this one!

Thanks OG

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

This is a GUARANTEE of overcast skies, as it would be if there were a prediction of northern lights or an eclipse...

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

Brooks,

Now why did you have to go and burst my bubble?

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

don't worry, I'm sure that's just conditions north of the jet stream...

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

And there was supposed to be a full moon tonight too. We have a really high cloud cover and cannot see the moon. I could see the planes flying (way up there) that were still under the cloud cover.

It was so strange.

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001

The moon here is bright with a mare's tail streaming from it. Looks like a gigantic comet! Out here in the boonies too, fresh rain, no snow yet.

-- Anonymous, October 31, 2001