Leonid Meteor Shower 2002

Jacer writes "Adler press reports that 'approximately every 33 years the Leonid Meteor shower becomes a breathtaking meteor storm -- capable of illuminating the night sky with thousands of meteors per hour. Astronomers predict that the height of the storm over North America in 2002 could possibly generate 40 meteors every minute -- over 2,400 per hour!' Space.com has plenty of information available. I wanted to submit it early so you could plan ahead. It'd make for a long work or school day, but it's not something I'd care to miss."

Comments

The morning on November 19th

[Adam Rightmann]

is the peak. A little detail that would have been better in the introductory text.

Re:The morning on November 19th

[polymath69]

Morning for which time zone?

Basically for every time zone. You see, as the Earth rotates on its axis, it is also orbiting the sun. Some part of the Earth has to be plowing headlong into the trail of dust. And that has to happen at either the "dawn" line or the "sunset" line (think about it.)

If the Earth spun the other way 'round, meteor showers would always be best just after sunset. But, sadly, I was not consulted during the design phase...

Now that's the general principle. In this case, astronomers are predicting two particularly dense sections of the dust trail, one intersecting Earth's orbit at dawn Europe, and another around dawn East Coast Americas. But even people not in these locations should see the best local view at about an hour before sunrise.

Re:The morning on November 19th

[jguthrie]

Morning for every time zone. Meteors are most likely to enter the atmosphere near where the time is just before sunrise.

Rerun...

[ackthpt]

approximately every 33 years the Leonid Meteor shower becomes a breathtaking meteor storm

That was sooo last year!

and it was pretty cool to watch while lying in the back of my pickup in the Mohave desert, hundreds of miles away from cloudy home!

Re:Rerun...

[chacha]

The Leonids happen every year, but on some years, they're brighter and fall at a greater frequency. It all depends on exactly how Earth passes through the Leonid stream from Comet Temple-Tuttle, which passes near our orbit every 33 years. However, even if the comet isn't there, its dust trails from previous orbits still are, and the big Leonid years are the years when we'll be passing through a more recent trail. Last year was supposed to be a Big Year because we passed through 2 dust trails. If this year is anything at all like last year, it should be a heck of a sight...

Now, if only there weren't that pesky nearly-full moon at the same time.

Re:How nice of you to tell us

[Anonymous Coward]

From the space.com site

Residents of Canada and Mexico will see this outburst, too.

Gonna do it again

[r_j_prahad]

Last year I went camping out in the Arizona desert to watch these. I'll be going back there again this year as well.

Something I discovered last year... if you plan on doing any time exposure photography, don't leave the shutter open for as long as you normally would for a night sky photo. I ended up with a lot of fogged prints because of the high occurence of super-bright meteoroids. You know the ones I mean, the kind you can almost read by, the ones that leave fluorescing smoke trails that seem to linger for five or ten seconds.

And too bad I get drug screened where I work, it could've been a "wow - bitchin'" night.

Re:Last year?

[ggram]

I think they say this every year. "It's going to be good this year, don't miss it...", I've seen it the last 3 years and it is impressive, but hasn't been 40/min yet. Who knows, maybe this will finally be the year.

You're gonna get mooned...

[aiabx]

Keep in mind this is two days before the full moon, so you're going to miss a lot of low magnitude meteors.
-aiabx

Take a photo, it lasts longer

[Cecil]

Seriously though, I know I plan on attempting to take some pictures this year, and hopefully something will turn out. For those of you complaining about a full moon, the moon doesn't rise until late in the night, which should give plenty of good photography time, particularly for those of us on the west coast.

If anyone else is interested in this sort of thing but isn't sure how to get started or what you need, this very good beginner's guide makes for good reading.

Re:Take a photo, it lasts longer

[Anonymous Coward]

The shower won't start until at least midnight, when the radiant rises. Don't go looking for Leonids prior to 10:00PM-- and even then you will only get the rare earthgrazer.

Digital Camera Tip:

[Manhigh]

Last year was the first year I tried using my digital camera (Olympus C3000) to catch the show, leaving the shutter open for up to 16 seconds.

What I didnt know is that CCD's have a transient response to temperature. Make sure to get out early and allow your camera time to acclimate to the temperature. Otherwise youll get very speckled photos.

Obligatory tips for first timers :-)

[Pat__]

A couple of tips for the first timers.
- Get away from the city lights (and pullotion) as much as possible.
- Have a good field of view because they will be all over the sky not just in the vicinity of Leo
- Do NOT concentrate at the spot where they will come from (Leo) rather about 40 degrees away, as odd as this may seem, the shooting stars around Leo won't leave a long trail (they will be coming towards you ) and you won't be seing much.

Re:We have a problem Houston!

[Anonymous Coward]

Bravo. In case you didn't get the joke

Re:Now or never!

[derch]

You're a little wrong. The Leonid shower happens every year. Typically, the shower is 10 an hour. This is the last year we will probably seen an amazing show of up to 1000 an hour.

And the Tempel-Tuttle comes every 1/3 of a century. That's 33 years. The next should be around 2033.

full moon

[execom]

Too bad, it will be during a full moon. Also a penumbral eclipse of the moon will be also viewed the very same day.

Re:American Literature Quiz -- Cormac McCarthy

[Anonymous Coward]

when all these meteors are shooting through the sky, do they burn up in the atmosphere? Do some make it through? You'd think if there were that many, one or two would cause some serious damage.

They're dust man. the very largest are only the size of grains of sand. they're not getting throught the atmosphere.

Last Leonid shower for donkeys'

[devnulljapan]

But it looks like this will be the last Leonid shower for quite a while.

As the comet Tempel-Tuttle approaches the Sun toward a May 2031 perihelion, it will pass within 1.5 a.u. of Jupiter in August 2029. This encounter will push the comet closer to the Sun and increase the distance between Earth's orbit and the comet's to 0.0162 a.u. -- their largest separation since 1733. Such a large gulf between the two orbits may preclude any substantial meteor activity for the year 2031, and for several years thereafter, when the next cycle of Leonid storms would normally be expected.

In examining this next Leonid cycle, McNaught has found three outlying dust trails that the Earth will approach in the years 2033 and 2034. "Unfortunately," he notes, "they are probably too distant for any reasonable chance of high activity."

There will be little improvement at the comet's subsequent return in 2065, for the separation between the orbits of the comet and the Earth will have diminished only slightly to 0.0146 a.u.

In 2098 the separation of the orbits shrinks to 0.0062 a.u. And in 2131, for the first time since 1633, the comet crosses our orbital plane slightly outside the Earth's orbit at a distance of 0.0089 a.u. Not until one, or both, of these remote years can our great grandchildren expect to witness a storm of Leonid meteors.

So get out there and see the damn thing. I'm in Northern Thailand, so not much hope for me :-(

Re:Now or never!

[derch]

My bad. Didn't see the 'Next Page' links at the bottom. On the 4th page, it's explained that the orbit of Tempel-Tuttle changes a little on it's next pass or two. We will probably miss the new trail.

However, there's a slight change we'll hit an old trail or two in 2033 or 2034.

This probably is the last chance till late this century for a Leonid storm. The Leonid shower still occurs every year, though.

Armagh Observatory 2002 plots

[sakusha]

Check these out:

http://www.arm.ac.uk/leonid/dust2002.html

Looks like we are in line with the dust trails from the famous 1767 and 1866 showers, when "meteors fell like rain." So there's a tiny chance it could be a shower of historic proportions. And of course the computer model for this prediction is experimental, the shower can (and probably will) turn out to be a dud. But ooh that one chance in a million that it could be a shower they're still talking about 200 years from now..

From my skywatching checklist

[LiamRandall]

If you are going outside don't forget these essentials:

-a blanket you don't mind getting mud/grass on

-a Deet based bug repellent (Unscented Off in the push spray works great)

-a small flashlight (so you don't ruin your night vision)

-take your Allegra _before_ you leave

-pants/long sleeves if you're bothered by bugs

And I would recommend:

-pillows

-snacks (Thermos w/ Hot Chocolate/Coffee, food you can eat with gloves on)

-spare jacket, sweater, gloves (layers!)

-wine

-small radio (I prefer a short-wave; in the middle of no where you can usually pick up different stations)

-a date ;)

-xtra blankets to 'cuddle' in

Re:From my skywatching checklist

[Graymalkin]

I'd addend to the flashlight a red filter as to better preserve your night vision. Novelty red Saran Wrap works pretty well to cover most flashlights, all you need in some wrap and tape. I prefer duct tape to get a better seal against dew as you'll get some condensation on the wrap because of cold air and a hot bulb. Sealing the wrap directly onto the flashlight lens I've found works well. If you've got a military surplus angle head flashlight you can probably pick up a red filter for it from the same place you bought it.

Also if you're going out in the middle of noplace and decide not to stay until dawn grab some reflective tape to attach strips to stuff you're taking with you like the Thermor or binocs. The full moon will give just enough light for the strips to be seen in the dark so you don't lose them when you set them down in the grass or something. Don't forget strips on your flashlights too. This seems counter intuitive until you set your flash down in the dark grass when its off and can't find it against until you sit on it.

For those with only a passing interest

[LiamRandall]

For all of the armature astronomers out there with a passing interest in this stuff, here are some helpful links for this years storm:

Where to find a dark place to view from: DarkSky.org

The storm forecast by city (US/World) from NASA: NASA

Astronomy Links In General:

NASA's J-Pass Satellite Passes: Near earth objects(Java,Email)

NASA's SkyWatch 1.4: Excellent for finding events (Java)

Satellite Related Software: For UNIX, Mac, Windows, Palm & more

SpaceWeather.com: Plan to see the auroras

SlashDot.org: Leonid's Last Year

Weather.com: Don't forget to check before you leave

By MichaelCrawford: This /.r makes telescopes

Tips: viewing and what I bring with me.

Sorry, full moon

[pease1]

The almost full moon will really impact this show... it will be best to wait until very early morning - 4am on the US east coast when the Moon is about to set, but before morning twilight starts to brighten the sky. Put something - like trees - between you and moon.

If you are out while the moon is up, you will learn just how bright the moon really is when you are away from city lights. After 20 minutes, you won't need a flashlight. Be sure to notice how you can't detect color very well.

While the moon is up, you will only see the brightest of the meteors, so don't expect anything like last year. Just hope and pray for a storm during the narrow moon set/twilight window.

Re:Satellites go bye bye?

[Aero]

I work for a major satellite operator, and meteor showers are something that has to be dealt with every year, several times a year. And we (and the other satellite operators in the world) deal with it fairly handily.

The odds of a collision are fairly small to begin with, and it's possible to hedge that a bit. The main body of most large satellites (speaking only for the geostationary variety) is less than 2.5 meters on a side. The solar arrays are much larger, but that's solved by rotating them so that they're edge-on to the approach path of the meteors.

It would be much more troublesome for the ISS or something else big. But something big also has mass on its side, and most of the particles involved in a meteor shower are really, really small.

Not a bad night for skywatching...

[hndrcks]

..except for the nearly full Moon. However, during the 'peak' Leonid period (3:30am - until daybreak) there are a number of other fine sights in the sky, many observable with good binoculars or a medium-size telescope:

1. Saturn's upper pole is currently pointed in our direction, which means you can see more of the rings right now than we will for many years to come.

2. Jupiter will also be high enough in the sky for a good view. The Galilean moons are breathtaking. On November 18th, viewers in the northern hemisphere will be able to see Ganymede occult Io for about 3 minutes - this kind of event is only possible to view from earth once every six years or so!

3. The Pleiades, also known as 'Subaru' or 'Seven Sisters', among other names. Very young, bright stars forming from gas disturbed in a supernova. With moderately powered binocs or a small telescope, one can see that the 'seven sisters' are just the brightest of hundreds of stars in an open cluster. An extended-exposure astrophotograph will show the clouds of bluish gas and dust still surrounding the stars.

4. My favorite - Orion, and the Great Orion Nebula. For viewers in the mid-northern latitudes, look for 3 stars in a straight diagonal line, almost due south at 3:00 am and about 2/3 elevated from the horizon to the zenith. Below those three stars (Orion's Belt) you should be able to find two dimmer stars in a vertical line (Orion's Sword) with a fuzzy patch in between (in darker areas). Good binoculars or a small scope will show one of the most beautiful sights in the sky!

So even if the Leonids crap out, there will still be things to see! Get that old telescope out and see what you can find!

Re:How time flies!

[sartin]

No, it's been one year since the last annual Leonid shower. However, it has been 33 years since the last peak of the shower, as the article said (emphasis mine):

approximately every 33 years the Leonid Meteor shower becomes a breathtaking meteor storm

In other (perhaps better, perhaps not) words, although the shower comes every year, the peak comes every 33 years.

NASA's plans

[Kaz Riprock]

In case you were wondering what NASA knows, tells, and plans to do about it:

http://leonid.arc.nasa.gov/