Leonid meteor shower hits Earth

Stargazers around the world are hoping for clear skies as the annual Leonid meteor shower reaches its climax. The meteor shower is made of bits of debris from the comet Tempel-Tuttle. In 33-year cycles, the comet visits the inner solar system and leaves a stream of dusty debris in its wake.

Leonid meteorite shower, Photo: (C) Astrophysical Institute Potsdam

The 2009 shower, scientists have calculated, is from material released by the comet at various past returns, in particular from 1466 and 1533. Previous years have seen peaks in activity, with 2001 and 2002 producing intense Leonid displays. However, due to a close encounter with Jupiter that is expected to perturb the comet’s path, intense storms of historic magnitude are unlikely for many decades to come.

The intensity of the meteor showers is open to speculation. Scientists can accurately predict when Earth crosses a debris stream, but not how intense the display is going to be as it is unknown how much debris is in each stream. Predictions indicate that Asia will see the highest frequency of meteors while Europe can expect up to 60 meteors per hour.

The Leonids are visible when the shower’s radiant point, in the constellation Leo, rises. Further factors that stargazers need to take into account are cloud cover, the current Moon-phase and preferably viewing in remote areas away from the illumination of large cities. Current photographs of the Leonid shower are posted on www.spaceweather.com .