SHOOTING STARS
The UK-China Leonid Meteor Shower
Observation Project

An Overview

This annual astronomical event is expected to be particularly spectacular this year. Meteor showers occur when the Earth passes though the tail-streams of comets. Particles from the stream create meteors when they strike the upper atmosphere at high speed. The comet associated with the Leonids, Tempel-Tutle, has just replenished its stream and the Earth passes through this in November. On the night of 17th November the meteor stream will be at its peak and this will occur over north east Asia. Up to 100,000 meteors per hour may be visible. Although the Leonid shower can be seen every year an event on this scale occurs just once every 33 years, after the comet has passed. Meteor showers are given names that connect them with the place in the sky from where they appear to originate. Leonids, as you might imagine, appear to come out of the constellation, Leo.

The shower will be visible in the UK but we are unlikely to have the peak of the activity visible in our night sky.

This year, it is hoped that the Leonids will be very bright. The Leonids are left behind by the tail of Comet Tempel Tuttle, and they put on a spectacular display every 33 years. We're hoping that this year they may reach 100,000 per hour. This will occur on the night of 17th - 18th November, 1998.

The sky should be dark, as it will be a New Moon, which won't rise until 06.00 am, but you'll be able to see the radiant from 23.30 pm onwards.

There will be other things to see as well. The red planet Mars will be near Leo, and slightly underneath his back legs. It will be very easy to see, and will act as an excellent reference marker. In Leo itself, there is a bright star called "Regulus", meaning, in Latin, "the Little King". Regulus rises at midnight.

Go to Dale Ireland's Astronomy Page for more details of how the comet forms the meteor stream.

... And to continue, go to the next page for observing tips.

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