tagged w/ Leonids
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November 14th, 2010
09:59 PM ET
Leonid meteor shower peaks Wednesday
A meteor streak photographed in Sherborn, Massachusetts, during the 2001 Leonid meteor shower.
Skygazers will have the best opportunity to witness the Leonid meteor shower in the two to three hours before dawn on Wednesday and Thursday, according to the editors of StarDate magazine.
If skies are clear, viewers should expect to see at least 20 meteors per hour, the magazine said. The nearly full Moon will set several hours before dawn, so viewers won't have to worry about it washing out meteors as dawn approaches.
The name Leonid comes from the constellation Leo, which appears to be the source of the meteor shower. It turns out that Leonids are actually bits of debris from the Comet Tempel-Tuttle that are left behind as the comet orbits the Sun. The amount of visible meteors depends on where Earth passes through the comet's debris trail.November 14th, 2010
09:59 PM ET
Leonid meteor shower peaks Wednesday
A... more
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One of the best annual meteor showers will peak in the pre-dawn hours Tuesday, and for some skywatchers the show could be quite impressive.
The best seats are in Asia, but North American observers should be treated to an above average performance of the Leonid meteor shower, weather permitting. The trick for all observers is to head outside in the wee hours of the morning – between 1 a.m. and dawn – regardless where you live.
The Leonids put on a solid show every year, if skies are clear and moonlight does not interfere. This year the moon is near its new phase, and not a factor. For anyone in the Northern Hemisphere with dark skies, away from urban and suburban lighting, the show should be worth getting up early to see.
"We're predicting 20 to 30 meteors per hour over the Americas, and as many as 200 to 300 per hour over Asia," said Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. Other astronomers who work in the nascent field of meteor shower prediction have put out similar forecasts.
Urban dwellers and suburbanites will see far fewer, as the fainter meteors will be drowned out by local lights.
(more at link)One of the best annual meteor showers will peak in the pre-dawn hours Tuesday, and for... more
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