Don't Forget to Watch the Leonid Meteor Storm

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The last Leonid meteor storm untill 2098 will be on Mon. night Tues. morning. Here in the midwest (CST) it will be from 3:30-5:30 AM with the peak being at 4:30. They estimate there will be between 1000 and 6000 an hour. WOW! You might want to wake the kids up for this one, it might be the only one they ever get to see.

-- Anonymous, November 17, 2002

Answers

Thank you for the reminder.

-- Anonymous, November 17, 2002

Supposed to be cloudy here, as usual.

I thought the Leonids put on a show every August?

-- Anonymous, November 18, 2002


I can never keep those two meteor showers straight. Perhaps tonight's is the Perseids?

If we can see the meteors tonight, it will be the first time ever on this date. I try every year.

Of course, I live where "people don't tan-they rust".

-- Anonymous, November 18, 2002


No, I'M wrong, Joe -- it IS the Perseids in August! Although, since August is the Sign of Leo, you'd THINK the Leonids would be then! :-O

-- Anonymous, November 18, 2002

Joy, the reason the meteor showers are called Persieds or Leonids has nothing to do with the signs of the Zodiac. They are named as they are becasue the meteors APPEAR to emanate from the constellation they are named for.

BTW, miracle of miracles, I got up at five thirty (forgot to set my alarm), and it was CLEAR!

Didn't see a single meteor, though. Did anyone else get up at the 'right" time, and see anything worth mentioning?

I'm also confused as to why there were supposed to be such great meteor showers. I read up on this in 1999, when there was supposed to be a great shower (it was, of course, cloudy that time.) I learned that the comet that causes the Leonid meteor shower has a 33 year period, and the best show is right after it crosses Earth's orbit.

I also learned that in 1966, when I lived in Lubbock Texas, if I'd remained in the Lubbock H.S. football field with my fiance' and my best friend until about four in the morning, instead of packing it in about midnight, as we did, due to boredom and extreme cold, we'd have seen several hundred thousand meteors per hour!

So of course, i've been tryiing to recapture that lost opportunity.

JOJ

-- Anonymous, November 19, 2002



I was up at five a.m., peering out the windows that face east. There seemed to be a light overcast, so that the brightest stars were the only ones showing. There was also light pollution, reflecting back on the overcast too, I think. I did see a couple of streaks go by, but not so many that I was tempted to get dressed and go outside. I went back to bed!

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2002

It was a beautifully clear night here, but the full moon was so bright that only an occasional meteor was visible!!

-- Anonymous, November 20, 2002

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