1999 Leonids - Credit: Shinsuke Abe and Hajime Yano of the Institute for Space and Astronautical Sciences, Japan
(*Note: It has been brought to my attention, by Daniel Fischer, that the predicted outburst rate of 500zhr, noted herein, has been amended to 200zhr)
Surprisingly, I did not experience my first meteor shower until I was 35 years old. But, that first shower was the Leonids “storm” of 1999, and it was worth a lifetime of meteor showers.
In 1999, I wasn’t yet involved in astronomy, and having never experienced a meteor shower, I really didn’t know what to expect. But, I’d heard that an outburst had been predicted, and I was intent on finally experiencing a meteor shower. So, on the night of November 17, I dawdled around the house until about 3am, then I roused my husband and youngest son from bed and we headed for the safest, darkest spot we could find.
As it happened, we needn’t drive far. Even as we pulled out of our neighborhood, fast bright meteors were streaking across the sky. Within minutes, the streaks were so many that we simply pulled over to the side of the road and set-up camp right there, in a small field.
I’ll never forget that night. It was bitterly cold, but we were properly dressed and had plenty of blankets. Though no stars were visible through the clouds, hundreds of colorful meteors filled the sky. Not only could we see them, we heard them fizzing and popping. It was as though you could reach out and grab them; some even seemed as though they’d strike us. At one point, my two-year-old son even began to cry, thinking that we were under fire from some angry farmer. And all up and down that road, late-night drivers were pulling over as the brilliant sky came raining down.
Now it is ten years later, and it looks like we may experience that once-in-a-lifetime event, yet again. Astronomers from CalTech and NASA are predicting an outburst of 500 streaks per hour, with Asia being favored for the greatest activity. While this is less than one-quarter the activity of the 1999 event, and half that required for a real “storm”, 500 meteors per hour is intense!
Scientists are basing this year’s prediction on Earth’s movement through the debris field of the periodic comet, 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. We orbit through this material every year, but this year Earth will pass within 42,000 miles of the center of a particularly rich stream, left by the comet’s pass in 1466, as well as through two additional streams, dating back to 1533 and 1567. As we move through that expelled material, tiny particles will impact our atmosphere at speeds of 160,000 mph, creating the fiery display of a meteor shower. It is a fascinating scenario to envision, and even more exciting to witness, as one sits under a dark moon-less sky, counting the bright streaks.
The best time to view most meteor showers is in the early hours before sunrise. With the Leonids, the streaks will appear to originate from the constellation Leo, near a curved group of stars, known as the “sickle” and representing the mane of the Lion that is Leo. Although Asia will be best-placed for the main outburst, as Earth moves through that denser 1466 stream at 21:40 GMT on November 17, North and South America should experience significantly-heightened activity when we encounter the 1567 stream some 12 hours earlier, on the morning of the 17th.
Of course, peak nights are not the only time one can enjoy the Leonids, and watching is not the only way to experience them. Nights immediately preceding and following the 17th should also see notable activity, offering extended viewing and listening opportunities. You’ll also likely find a number of Leonids-related events in your region and online, or you could even consider hosting your own meteor-watching party to introduce friends and neighbors to the wonders of the night sky!
* Wanna know more about meteor showers? Check out Space.com’s “Meteors and Meteor Showers: The Science“!
* Source Material: NASA, Meteor Showers Online, Society for Popular Astronomy, Space.com, Quick Phase Pro, Stellarium
