Monday, November 15, 1999
Stargazers hope meteor shower will dazzle
BY JOHN JOHNSTON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Some people thought Judgment Day had arrived.Throughout America in the predawn hours of Nov. 13, 1833, people gazed skyward at one of history's greatest meteor showers.
After marveling at the Leonids, a Georgia newspaper editor wrote:
“We were waked by a neighbor, who had been aroused in a similar manner by one who supposed the World was coming to an end, as the stars were falling. The whole heavens were lighted by falling meteors, as thick and constant as the flakes which usher in a snow storm.”
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VIEWING TIPS
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• When: The Leonids are expected to peak Wednesday night and Thursday morning, and the best viewing should be between between midnight and dawn. The sky will be darkest after about 1:40 a.m., when the moon sets.
• Where: The best bet for viewing the Leonid meteor shower — or any meteor shower — is to get out of town. The glow of city lights severely hampers the ability to see shooting stars. An area in the country with a wide-open view is best; at the very least, find a place away from street lights.
• How: Dress warmly, and take along a hot drink. Lie on a reclining lawn chair and watch the darkest part of the sky. (Your eyes will need about 15 minutes to adjust to the dark.) Telescopes and binoculars aren't necessary; you want the widest-field view of the sky.
• On the Web: Leonids Internet sites providing frequent updates and live video:
• NASA-Ames Research Center: www.leonids.arc.nasa.gov
• NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center: www.LeonidsLive.com
• Aerospace Corp.: www.Leonidstorm.com.
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This week, professional and amateur astronomers will be watching the skies for the return of the Leonid meteors. Even if the shower doesn't match 1833's grandeur, it could still dazzle those lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time.
The meteors are expected to peak Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
“It could be the most spectacular shower seen for many years,” said Michael Sitko, a University of Cincinnati astron omer, “or it could be a real dud.”
Experts have a tough time determining exactly when and where the celestial show will peak.
“Western Europe and Africa probably have the best odds,” said Alan MacRobert, an associate editor for Sky & Telescope magazine. “That's the side of the world that will be facing into the shower at the time the densest part of it is expected to hit. If everything happens on schedule, (Greater Cincinnati) will be facing in the other direction.”
But the Leonids aren't al ways on schedule. Last year, for instance, they peaked hours earlier than expected. And while some experts predicted an intense meteor storm for 1998, it fell short of that.
Said Dr. Sitko: “The problem is, the orbit of the debris that causes the shower shifts a little bit from year to year ... with respect to the Earth's orbit. And we don't know the exact structure very well. We don't know its cross section.”
What we know is this:
The Leonid meteor shower occurs every year around Nov. 17 when Earth passes through a stream of debris left by comet Tempel-Tuttle. Many of the comet fragments are no bigger than grains of sand; when one harmlessly burns up in the Earth's atmosphere, it produces a white streak of light — a meteor.
Most years, the Leonids are nothing remarkable. But history shows that major Leonid storms tend to occur about every 33 years, the time it takes comet Tempel-Tuttle to complete an orbit around the sun. Also, the biggest displays happen soon after the comet has passed by Earth.
Two signs point to this year being a good show: The comet swung past Earth in 1998. And the last spectacular storm was 33 years ago, Nov. 17, 1966.
Thursday morning, skygazers in prime spots might see hundreds or thousands of meteors per hour, Mr. MacRobert said.
Because they burn up in the atmosphere, the tiny comet particles that produce the Leonids pose no danger to people on Earth. But such debris could damage satellites, so operators of hundreds of satellites will divert sensitive equipment away from direct hits.
Last year, Maury Childs, a 62-year-old amateur astronomer from Fairfield, was in northeastern New Mexico when the Leonids peaked a day earlier than predicted.
“We saw more meteors in an hour (500 to 700) than we had seen in our entire life,” said Mr. Childs, a member of astronomy clubs in Cincinnati and Dayton.
“It was awesome. Big ones came through that left trails in the sky for 30 minutes. You could hear 'em as they went over. It was amazing.”
This year, he'll drive two hours south into rural Kentucky to escape city lights that make it difficult to see the shooting stars.
He knows his odds of seeing a spectacular meteor storm aren't good. But that won't stop him.
“It's like being a fisherman,” he says. “There's always the hope of catching the big one.”
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