Leonid Meteor Shower 2006: The Basics
The Leonid meteor shower is at its best this weekend (Nov. 17-20, 2006). Its
traditional “peak” --
the time when you can expect to see the most meteors -- comes on Thursday and
Friday nights. A second peak may occur on Saturday night. The Moon will be
new on the 20th, so there will be no moonlight to interfere with the celestial
fireworks.
The Leonids are named for the constellation Leo because they all
appear to “rain” into Earth’s atmosphere from that direction.
However, the meteors can streak across any portion of the sky, so you do not
have to look toward Leo to see them.
The best time to look is after midnight,
when your portion of Earth begins to turn most directly into the meteor “stream” --
the tiny bits of comet dust that cause the shower. They vaporize as they streak
into the atmosphere, creating the bright streaks of light known as meteors
or shooting stars.
For more information, see our 2006 Meteor Showers page.
-- Damond Benningfield
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