Spectacular Leonid Meteor Coming
By The Associated Press
The most spectacular Leonid meteor storm in 35 years is forecast for November 18, 2001 in the Americas and Monday in Asia and Australia as Earth passes near centuries-old debris left by comet Tempel-Tuttle. The celestial storm could affect some satellites orbiting close to earth, so NASA scientists are making sure their spacecraft stay out of harm's way. (Reuters Graphic)
Scientists are predicting the most spectacular meteor shower in our lifetime will occur this weekend when the Leonid meteors appear over North America.
The meteors are streaks of light from the bits of debris, or meteoroids, from the Comet Tempel-Tuttle, which orbits the sun every 33 years. The meteors arrive every year in mid-November as the Earth plows through what is usually a thin section of the comet's debris.
A few years during each orbit, the comet sweeps close to the sun, whose heat causes it to shed more debris. That produces a storm of meteors - or shooting stars. North America is a prime viewing spot this year.
The following is a Q&A about the celestial show.
Q: When will the meteor shower appear and what will it look like?
A: It is expected to peak during a half-hour shortly after 5 a.m. EST Sunday on the East Coast, 2 a.m. PST on the West Coast. Most of us know meteors as shooting stars, streaks of white light. The most optimistic prediction for North America is for 70 a minute, or 4,200 in an hour.
Q. Where should I go to watch them?
A. Head to a dark location far from city lights. The meteors will appear to radiate from east to west.
Q. Is it dangerous to watch them?
A. No, the biggest meteoroids are the size of rice grains and they burn up far from Earth.
Q. Will I need binoculars?
A. No, you can see them with the naked eye. But if the sky is cloudy, you probably won't see them.
Q. Will this be the biggest meteor shower in recent history?
A. No. In 1966, observers couldn't count the shooting stars fast enough. Estimates ranged as high as 150,000 per hour.
Q. How did the Leonids get their name?
A. They appear to radiate from the constellation Leo, the Lion.
Q. Do meteors have any scientific value?
A. Yes. Comets are hurtling balls of ice and debris from the birth of the solar system more than 4 billion years ago. Comet particles contain basic elements like iron, as well as carbon-based molecules.
``The chemical precursors to life - found in comet dust - may well have survived a plunge into early Earth's atmosphere,'' says NASA (news - web sites) scientist Peter Jenniskens.
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On the Net:
Meteor shower parties: http://leonid.arc.nasa.gov/
-- Anonymous, November 17, 2001