Leonid Meteor Shower

Tristan Bennett writes "It looks as though those in Australia and America are in for a real treat. During the week before and after November 18, the Earth will pass through the trail of comet Tempel-Tuttle and be pelted with hail of sand-sized material. This year is supposed to be special, with astronomers predicting anywhere from 800 (North America) - 8,000 (Australia) meteors visible per hour at the storm's peak -- on November 18th."

Comments

A great show is only a possibility.

[pomakis]

I'd like to point out that there's only the possibility of a great show. The Leonids are usually quite unimpressive, and only once every several years does it turn into a meteor storm. It's about time for another storm, but it's hard to predict with certainty. Last year astronomers were saying the same thing. They crossed their fingers and stood out shivering in a dark field in the middle of the night, only to see a very disappointing display.

I for one am planning on standing out shivering in a dark field in the middle of the night this year to see it (assuming a clear night, of course), but I'm prepared for disappointment.

Shower Predictions

[alien88]

According to an article on space.com at peak, North and Centeral America are supposed to see around 800 per hour, Australia and East Asia around 2,000 per hour, Western Australia and East/South East/Central Asia around 8,000 per hour. Europe and South America will be in sunlight during the peak so they will only see normal rates of 10-15 per hour.

Also stated is that Peter Jenniskens has predicted 4,200 per hour for North America at 5:09AM. His prediction is the highest yet.

You can also check out predictions for 30 US Cities here.