LeoMeteor shower

The Leonid meteor shower every November 14 solstice 21, especially on November 17, or so, there are some meteor burst forth from the constellation, bearing is on the east by north point, probably level area of the sky around 40 degrees, this is the Leonid meteor shower, the causes of the Leonid meteor shower is because there is a temple?Tuttle (55 p/Tempel leftovers) of a comet.

　　The Leonid meteor shower cycle

The comet orbiting the sun, at the same time, it constantly scatter own substances, like sprinkle pesticide, under its orbit marching on many small particles, but these small particles distribution is not uniform.Thin in some places, in some places, local ball in particle thin place, a meteor, less populated place, the meteor is much.These small particles are easily affected by various factors and slowly away, but in the comet returns, the earth passes through its recent release particles populated area.People on earth will see a massive meteor shower.Due to the temple, Tuttle comet period is 33.18 years, so the Leonid meteor shower is a typical periodic meteor shower, it's cycle is about 33 years.

　　The Leonid meteor shower observation history

In 902, the first time a Chinese astronomers recorded Leonid meteor storm (Chinese ancient astronomical records);Star trails (not a meteor shower)

In 1799, the famous scientist Humboldt in venezuela record to the astronomical phenomena;

In 1833, a rare meteor storm in North America, estimates that in the 9 hours there were 240000 meteor night sky;

In 1866, found the temple - tal comets, and determine the orbit of the comet, observed in Europe meteor storm;In 1899, the expected meteor storm did not appear, public confidence in the reliability of the astronomical calculation waver;

In 1933, still no observed meteor storm reports;

In 1966, in the United States once again appear in the Midwest of the spectacular meteor storm, estimated about 100000 meteors per hour peak since the day fell;

, the 1998 leonids meteor shower to earth again, for most modern people really realize the king of the "meteor shower".

On November 18, 2001, the global total of more than 3000, ten thousand people in the middle of the night waiting for the meteor shower.

2009 leonids peak will appear in the Taipei time on 18 November 5 43 points (may be off 30 minutes - 60 minutes).At the appointed time, maximum flow per hour is about 500, this would be "time rainstorm level".The public from 18 at 2 till dawn can be on the meteor shower.NASA meteoroid environment agency director William cook (William Cooke) said: "to benefit from the advanced computer performance, since the 1990 s, we can more accurately predict the meteor phenomenon.

Broke out in 2009 leonids is the strongest, most can achieve a 300 meteors per hour."In Europe leonids status in 1-3 am clear horizon in the northeast region of the sky, when close to the sun will melt the comet dust particles in the ice, the most dust particles larger than grains of sand.For most close to the earth of the comet, they will burn in the earth's atmosphere and form meteorites.

In the annual astronomical observation, the leonids is very like a unstable rock star, over the years has been the comet, usually appeared 15 meteors per hour on average.And in some special years, the leonids ejecting spectacular meteor storm, can suddenly appear thousands of meteors per hour on average.

The Leonid meteor shower of some activities may come from a very old comet debris trail, s dates back to 1102.These substances aged more than 900, around the sun for less than 27 weeks.As a result, they have almost completely to be dispelled, do not have any activity.Greenwich mean time on November 18 at 3 am 29 points, earth will across the trail of the central area 30000 miles (48000 km) long.

　　The Leonid meteor shower in reason

Meteors usually single sporadic, has nothing to do with each other, time and direction there is no rule, can see 10 or so per hour on average, called incidental meteor (also known as sporadic meteor).Sometimes a particular area within a certain period of time in the sky meteor number will increase significantly, dozens per hour or more, it looked likeIt rainsThis phenomenon is called a meteor shower.Particularly large meteor shower is also called the meteor storm.Meteor shower is the flow of a large group of stars to break into the earth's atmosphere as a result, the hordes of meteoroid referred to as a meteor.

Is generally thought that the presence of the meteor shower is associated with a comet.Comet is a curious within the solar system objects, it is far away from the sun as a nucleus, a few kilometers or more in diameter.Once close to the sun, under the action of solar radiation, due to the gasification of nuclear material would have a huge of coma and a long tail.Meteor material was originated from the comet's scattering out debris or collapse of the nucleus.

Every November 14 solstice 21, especially on November 17, or so, there are some meteor burst forth from the constellation, this is the Leonid meteor shower.Astronomers now know, form the Leonid meteor shower maternal comet was discovered in 1866 - Tuttle temple comets.

The well-known "Leo" meteor shower is not "Leo" meteor shower."Leo" even if there is a meteor shower, on the earth can't see with the naked eye."Leo" meteor shower is by a comet called "temple Tuttle" scatters the grain glides across the surface of the atmosphere.Because the formation of the orientation of the meteor shower on the celestial sphere projection coincides with "Leo" on the celestial sphere projection collocated, on the earth looks like a meteor shower come from "Leo" injection, so called "Leo" meteor shower.