November/ December 1999 More Leonids coverage

by Alan MacRobert

Remember the Leonid meteor shower last year? If you had a clear sky and were out very late on the night of November 17, you probably saw a spectacular display of brilliant meteors. This year we may get another chance.

Once again, the time to watch is very late, midnight or after, on the night of November 17 (that is, on the morning of the 18th). There will be a bright Moon at first, but it sets around 1 a.m., leaving a good, dark sky.

Strong meteor showers, however, are notoriously hard to predict. Astronomers” best estimates are that the peak of the Leonid shower will arrive several hours earlier, when Europe and Africa are having their late-night meteor-watching hours. By the time our side of the world turns to face into the shower, the strongest part may be over. Easterners probably stand the best chance.

Bundle up, lie on the ground or in a reclining lawn chair, and give your eyes time to adapt to the dark. Relax and watch the stars. Any "shooting star" you see is most likely a Leonid. The way to tell is to trace its direction of flight backward far across the sky. In the case of a Leonid, this extended line will eventually cross a point low in the east, in the constellation Leo.

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