Keeler, Sharon

English

University of New Hampshire

University of New Hampshire
University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository
Media Relations Administrative Offices
11-13-2001
Sundays Leonids Should Produce Spectacular
Meteor Show
Sharon Keeler
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/news
This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Administrative Offices at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has
been accepted for inclusion in Media Relations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more
information, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.
Recommended Citation
Keeler, Sharon, "Sundays Leonids Should Produce Spectacular Meteor Show" (2001). UNH Today. 2645.
https://scholars.unh.edu/news/2645
11/27/17, 12'25 PMSunday's Leonids Should Produce Spectacular Meteor Show
Page 1 of 3http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/news_releases/2001/november/sk_20011113leonids.html
UNH
Institute
for the
Study of
Earth,
Oceans,
and
Space 
Sunday's Leonids Should Produce
Spectacular Meteor Show
Hundreds, Maybe Thousands, Expected Per Hour
By Sharon Keeler
UNH News Bureau 
603-862-1566
November 13, 2001
Editors/News Directors: 
UNH Professor Eberhard Moebius can be reached
at 603-862-3097. The best time for interviews is
Thursday, Nov. 15, but you may try to contact him
any day.
DURHAM, N.H. -- Weather permitting, astronomers
are predicting a spectacular outburst of meteor showers
this Sunday, as Earth is heading for a minefield of
cosmic dust laid down by the comet Tempel-Tuttle.
North Americans and people on the western Pacific
Rim will have the best chance to spot Leonids activity
this year, says Eberhard Moebius, professor of space
physics at the University of New Hampshire's Institute
for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space.
For the east coast of the United States flurries of
shooting stars are expected in the early morning hours -
- 4 to 6 a.m. -- on Sunday, Nov. 18.
"According to modeling, which has been extremely
successful in forecasting the activity during the past
three years, we may see between 800 and 4,000 meteors
per hour during the peak time around 5 a.m.," says
Moebius. "With up to one meteor per second, this can
produce quite a show."
This year is particularly favorable for the Leonids, says
Moebius, because they come at a time close to a new
moon. Therefore, no moonlight will interfere with the
meteor shower, and the numerous small shooting stars
will be visible.
11/27/17, 12'25 PMSunday's Leonids Should Produce Spectacular Meteor Show
Page 2 of 3http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/news_releases/2001/november/sk_20011113leonids.html
 
Every 33 years, most recently in 1998, Temple-Tuttle
makes its closest approach to the Sun and ejects a cloud
of debris. The Leonid meteor showers -- so named
because they come from a point in the constellation Leo
-- occur every November as the Earth passes through
Tempel-Tuttle's orbit.
The resulting meteor showers consist of particles,
ranging in size from dust to marbles, traveling at speeds
over 150,000 miles per hour that collide with Earth's
atmosphere. Over the past few years, these encounters
have lead to increased meteor sightings because Earth
has been passing the streams closest to the comet itself
on its orbit.
Comets, according to Moebius, are "dirty snow balls,"
that heat up when they come close to the sun, spewing
out volatile materials such as water vapor and other
gases, which "take dust and larger pieces along."
Visible is the glowing gas ball that surrounds the comet
nucleus when the comet is close to the sun. The cloud
of debris stays in the comet's orbit, until it is "scooped
up by a planet," which leads to meteor showers.
"The Tempel-Tuttle comet has been part of our solar
system since its beginning," says Moebius, explaining
that it was left over material from the formation of the
planets.
This year Earth is heading for encounters with four dust
streams that were set loose during the comet's closest
approaches to the sun over the last 300 years. During
the morning hours of Nov. 18 the Earth will pass a
stream from 1766.
After midnight through dawn is generally the best
meteor viewing time.
"It is then that we are looking into a piece of the sky
which represents the 'windshield' of the Earth on its
journey around the sun," says Moebius. "Meteors are
scooped up by this side of the Earth, like snowflakes by
the windshield of a car during a drive in a snowstorm."
To view the Leonids at 5 a.m., Moebius says to look for
the constellation Leo 60 degrees above the horizon in
the southeast. Jupiter, as the brightest object in the sky,
will be at the same height above the horizon in the
11/27/17, 12'25 PMSunday's Leonids Should Produce Spectacular Meteor Show
Page 3 of 3http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/news_releases/2001/november/sk_20011113leonids.html
southwest and may serve as a guide. For the best view,
observations should be made from a dark site away
from bright street or residential lights.
Back to UNH News Bureau


Sundays Leonids Should Produce Spectacular Meteor Show

UNH Scholars' Repository

University of New HampshireUniversity of New Hampshire Scholars' RepositoryMedia Relations Administrative Offices11-13-2001Sundays Leonids Should Produce SpectacularMeteor ShowSharon KeelerFollow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/newsThis News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Administrative Offices at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It hasbeen accepted for inclusion in Media Relations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For moreinformation, please contact nicole.hentz@unh.edu.Recommended CitationKeeler, Sharon, "Sundays Leonids Should Produce Spectacular Meteor Show" (2001). UNH Today. 2645.https://scholars.unh.edu/news/264511/27/17, 12'25 PMSunday's Leonids Should Produce Spectacular Meteor ShowPage 1 of 3http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/news_releases/2001/november/sk_20011113leonids.htmlUNHInstitutefor theStudy ofEarth,Oceans,andSpace Sunday's Leonids Should ProduceSpectacular Meteor ShowHundreds, Maybe Thousands, Expected Per HourBy Sharon KeelerUNH News Bureau 603-862-1566November 13, 2001Editors/News Directors: UNH Professor Eberhard Moebius can be reachedat 603-862-3097. The best time for interviews isThursday, Nov. 15, but you may try to contact himany day.DURHAM, N.H. -- Weather permitting, astronomersare predicting a spectacular outburst of meteor showersthis Sunday, as Earth is heading for a minefield ofcosmic dust laid down by the comet Tempel-Tuttle.North Americans and people on the western PacificRim will have the best chance to spot Leonids activitythis year, says Eberhard Moebius, professor of spacephysics at the University of New Hampshire's Institutefor the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space.For the east coast of the United States flurries ofshooting stars are expected in the early morning hours -- 4 to 6 a.m. -- on Sunday, Nov. 18."According to modeling, which has been extremelysuccessful in forecasting the activity during the pastthree years, we may see between 800 and 4,000 meteorsper hour during the peak time around 5 a.m.," saysMoebius. "With up to one meteor per second, this canproduce quite a show."This year is particularly favorable for the Leonids, saysMoebius, because they come at a time close to a newmoon. Therefore, no moonlight will interfere with themeteor shower, and the numerous small shooting starswill be visible.11/27/17, 12'25 PMSunday's Leonids Should Produce Spectacular Meteor ShowPage 2 of 3http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/news_releases/2001/november/sk_20011113leonids.html Every 33 years, most recently in 1998, Temple-Tuttlemakes its closest approach to the Sun and ejects a cloudof debris. The Leonid meteor showers -- so namedbecause they come from a point in the constellation Leo-- occur every November as the Earth passes throughTempel-Tuttle's orbit.The resulting meteor showers consist of particles,ranging in size from dust to marbles, traveling at speedsover 150,000 miles per hour that collide with Earth'satmosphere. Over the past few years, these encountershave lead to increased meteor sightings because Earthhas been passing the streams closest to the comet itselfon its orbit.Comets, according to Moebius, are "dirty snow balls,"that heat up when they come close to the sun, spewingout volatile materials such as water vapor and othergases, which "take dust and larger pieces along."Visible is the glowing gas ball that surrounds the cometnucleus when the comet is close to the sun. The cloudof debris stays in the comet's orbit, until it is "scoopedup by a planet," which leads to meteor showers."The Tempel-Tuttle comet has been part of our solarsystem since its beginning," says Moebius, explainingthat it was left over material from the formation of theplanets.This year Earth is heading for encounters with four duststreams that were set loose during the comet's closestapproaches to the sun over the last 300 years. Duringthe morning hours of Nov. 18 the Earth will pass astream from 1766.After midnight through dawn is generally the bestmeteor viewing time."It is then that we are looking into a piece of the skywhich represents the 'windshield' of the Earth on itsjourney around the sun," says Moebius. "Meteors arescooped up by this side of the Earth, like snowflakes bythe windshield of a car during a drive in a snowstorm."To view the Leonids at 5 a.m., Moebius says to look forthe constellation Leo 60 degrees above the horizon inthe southeast. Jupiter, as the brightest object in the sky,will be at the same height above the horizon in the11/27/17, 12'25 PMSunday's Leonids Should Produce Spectacular Meteor ShowPage 3 of 3http://www.unh.edu/delete/news/news_releases/2001/november/sk_20011113leonids.htmlsouthwest and may serve as a guide. For the best view,observations should be made from a dark site awayfrom bright street or residential lights.Back to UNH News Bureau

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Sundays Leonids Should Produce Spectacular Meteor Show

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