Category

Space Science Earth Technology Notable Figures Branches of Science

Subcategory

Agencies and Observatories Astronomy Constellations Human Space Exploration Robotic Space Exploration Solar System Space Sciences Stellar Bodies Universe

Articles

Asteroid Belt Earth Earth's Moon Jupiter Jupiter's Moon Adrastea Jupiter's Moon Amalthea Jupiter's Moon Callisto Jupiter's Moon Europa Jupiter's Moon Ganymede Jupiter's Moon Himalia Jupiter's Moon Io Jupiter's Moon Leda Jupiter's Moon Metis Jupiter's Moon Thebe Kuiper Belt Leonids Meteor Shower Lunar Eclipse Lunar Phase Mars Mars' Moon -- Deimos Mars' Moon -- Phobos Mercury Moon Neptune Neptune's Moon Despina Neptune's Moon Galatea Neptune's Moon Larissa Neptune's Moon Naiad Neptune's Moon Nereid Neptune's Moon Proteus Neptune's Moon Thalassa Neptune's Moon Triton Olympus Mons Oort Cloud Perseids Meteor Shower Pluto Pluto's Moon Charon Quaoar Saturn Saturn's Moon Atlas Saturn's Moon Calypso Saturn's Moon Dione Saturn's Moon Enceladus Saturn's Moon Epimetheus Saturn's Moon Helene Saturn's Moon Hyperion Saturn's Moon Iapetus Saturn's Moon Janus Saturn's Moon Mimas Saturn's Moon Pan Saturn's Moon Pandora Saturn's Moon Phoebe Saturn's Moon Prometheus Saturn's Moon Rhea Saturn's Moon Telesto Saturn's Moon Tethys Saturn's Moon Titan Solar Eclipse Solar Flare Solar Maximum Solar Prominence Solar Radiation Solar System Solar Wind Sunspot The Sun Uranus Uranus' Moon Ariel Uranus' Moon Belinda Uranus' Moon Bianca Uranus' Moon Caliban Uranus' Moon Cordelia Uranus' Moon Cressida Uranus' Moon Desdemona Uranus' Moon Juliet Uranus' Moon Miranda Uranus' Moon Oberon Uranus' Moon Ophelia Uranus' Moon Portia Uranus' Moon Puck Uranus' Moon Rosalind Uranus' Moon Sycorax Uranus' Moon Titania Uranus' Moon Umbriel Van Allen Radiation Belt Venus

Latest Thoughts

Leonids Meteor Shower


Credit: Leonids meteor shower. Credit: NASA
Download full size image

Leonids Meteor Shower -- The Leonids are a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Tempel-Tuttle.

The meteor stream is viewable every year around November 17 and is thought to be comprised of particles ejected by the comet as it passes by the Sun.

When the Earth moves through the meteor stream, the meteor shower is visible. The Leonids get their name from usually making their appearance in or near the constellation Leo.

The Leonids are famous because their meteor showers, or storms, can be among the most spectacular. They seem to follow a 33 year cycle, associated with the 33 year orbit of Tempel-Tuttle.

History of the Leonids

One of the first scientific accounts of a Leonid storm was by Alexander von Humboldt, a Prussian aristocrat, explorer and polymath. He witnessed the 1799 storm from South America during his exploration of the Orinoco. His account of meteors pouring from the sky is but one tiny part of the multi-volume report of his expeditions.

It was the 1833 Leonid storm witnessed over North America that resulted in the modern study of meteors. This event led to the recognition of Leonid storms in historical records going back to 902 AD and to the 33 year periodicity in their occurrence.

High activity from the Leonids can happen over several years every 33 years or so, but away from these years, the Leonid rates are typically only a few tens of meteors per hour at best.

In 1866 a Leonid storm came on cue, with good activity also in 1867 and 1869. Around this time another major advance in meteor science took place. Comet searchers found two bright comets, one became named Swift-Tuttle and the other Tempel-Tuttle after their discoverers.

In both cases, the orbits of the comets around the Sun were shown to be basically identical to known meteor showers, the August Perseids in the case of comet Swift-Tuttle and the Leonids in the case of Tempel-Tuttle. It was clear that shower meteors were directly related to comets.

-----

NASA

Click here to learn more on this topic from eLibrary�

redOrbit Friends