A Few Shooting Stars in November

During the last few years we were all anxiously awaiting November because of the continued potential for some residual leftovers from the Leonid meteor storm that reached its peak in 2001. Unfortunately we'll have to wait until 2031 to 2033 for the next major storm. Presently we'll have to be content with somewhere between 15 to 20 meteors per hour. With a rate that low, you better observe this shower with a friend or you'll soon fall fast asleep. Yes, we got spoiled with the high meteor activity we experienced for a couple of years, but the above listed rates are normal for the Leonids between storm level periods. Before I highlight the specifics of this now mediocre meteor shower, lets see what other astronomical events can be seen during November.

First up is the Taurid meteor shower. This shower, comprising both a northern and a southern component, spans several weeks. However it is most active from the 3rd to the 12th. Early in this time frame the Moon will be at last quarter, then shrinking to New on the 12th. Moonlight will therefore only slightly interfere with observing this minor meteor shower.

Though the Taurids are slow meteors, entering our atmosphere at only 17-miles per second, these shooting stars are also bright. More often than not they are yellow in color. Fairly frequently they become fireballs that fragment into multiple meteors. This characteristic alone makes them worth watching. Expect five to ten Taurids per hour.

At mid-month, on the night of November 16-17, the peak of the Leonid meteor shower occurs. I wish I could say that astronomers have found another new and previously unknown dense stream of particles getting ready to pulverize our atmosphere, but research has not revealed such a scenario.

Even though the crescent Moon will set early on the 16th, the best time to view the Leonids are after midnight. With no Moon to spoil the view, you should have no difficulty in seeing 10 to 15 Leonids per hour from a dark location.

Leonid meteors blaze across the sky at an amazing speed of 44 miles per second. No Leonid has been known to reach the ground as a meteorite because they are completely annihilated upon entry into our protective atmosphere. Leonids are greenish and bluish meteors, usually bright, with half of them leaving trains of dust which persist for minutes. Like the Taurids earlier in the month, Leonids often produce fireballs as well.

Remember, Seagrave Observatory is open free of charge to the public every clear Saturday night. I'd advise you to visit soon before winter settles in. First, The Old Farmer's Almanac has predicted a bad winter for us, and secondly the National Weather Service has recently done likewise. With the early and bountiful snow last year, then the brutal cold during February, and then there was the rainy late March which left our parking lot a small pond, we didn't reopen Seagrave Observatory until the second week in April!!! So come out for a visit before Mother Nature causes us to hibernate once again! Check our web site - http://www.theskyscrapers.org - for further information, and always keep your eyes to the skies.