One More Time: Leonid Meteor Storm Watch

If you are reading this column, I bet I know what you were doing last year on the night of November 17-18! No, I'm not a stalker or a peeping Tom! You and thousands like you, if not tens of thousands, were watching for shooting stars to blaze across some of the darkest sky locations in southern New England. I also know you were not disappointed with the grand display of meteors that peaked just before dawn on the 18th.

Well, we've got another opportunity this November to observe possibly hundreds or maybe thousands of meteors fall from the sky during the peak of this year's Leonid display.

Though the Moon will unfortunately be Full during peak night on November 18-19, one should not give up hope. Remember how many meteors you observed well into morning twilight last year?

Astronomers predict we will encounter the first stream of particles around 11:00 pm on the 18th. (This debris field was deposited by Comet 55P/Tempel- Tuttle's inner solar system passage back in 1767.) Astronomers also believe this encounter could possibly produce anywhere from 1000 to 3000 per hour at that time.

However, we will not be favorably positioned to observe such high numbers of meteors. Despite this fact, it could prove interesting for us around here because around 11:00 pm, the constellation Leo, the storm's radiant, is just on or slightly above our eastern horizon. We could then be witness to some so-called Earth-grazing meteors.

These particles will be encountering the upper atmosphere by running parallel to the Earth's surface. Hitting the atmosphere at such a low angle will make many of them appear to "skip," like skipping a stone across the surface of a lake. Some may skip back out into space, but most can't resist the Earth's gravity, despite their high velocities and they'll be annihilated like the rest.

Furthermore, we'll also have to contend with a very bright Full Moon well up in the eastern sky at that time. This scenario will further reduce the number of
meteors that can be seen. Just remember, the key to successful meteor watching is perseverance!!

Later on the morning of the 19th, the Earth will encounter a stream of particles deposited by the comet back in 1866. The peak activity is predicted for around 5:30 am. The Moon will then be low in the west with the radiant high in the south-southeast, With moonlight still interfering, estimates call for possibly 700 to 1000 meteors per hour thru morning twilight.

We can only hope the predictions come true, and we are treated to a fine display once again, despite the bright moonlight. And why not? Astronomers been right on the money during the last several years. Still, I'd even be satisfied with about one-half of the 800 meteors per hour we observed locally last year.

I suggest you start observing sometime just before our encounter with the first stream of particles around 11:00 pm on the 18. Make yourself comfortable and warm in a lounge chair and direct your gaze in the general direction of the eastern horizon. Try to observe with a friend and keep up the chit-chat. That should keep you awake until the meteors begin raining down. As the night wears on, continue to follow Leo as he rises higher and higher into the sky. By 5:30 am this constellation will be high in the south-southeast sky.

The Leonids are the swiftest of all the meteor showers, hitting our atmosphere at a blazing 44 miles per second. They are green and blue in coloration and usually bright. Remember, last year many bright fireballs were once again reported. Some even left long persistent dust trains high in the sky.

The experts say this will be the Leonid "Grand Finale" for many more years to come. In fact, due to a variety of circumstances, the Earth may not encounter another Leonid "storm" until the year 2098 or even 2131. So unless you plan on cryogenic preservation sometime after November 19, 2002, make every effort to observe the Leonid meteor shower. Despite the bright moonlight you will be well rewarded with a grand finale view!

Let's hope the skies are clear and the predictions come true.

Keep your eyes to the skies.