The Leonids
Comets >
Imagine traveling down a special freeway in a special car that could travel more than 20 miles per second. Imagine rolling the window down. Imagine sticking your head out that window. Now imagine your face burning off, enveloped in a huge fireball. You’ve just imagined yourself experiencing something which more than 20 million doomed meteors experience everyday over our planet.
November is as fine a time as any to learn about these fiery intruders.
It’s during this month that we have not one but two special immigrations
of meteors in events called meteor showers.
Regular readers here will recall that meteor showers are simply our planet
slamming into space debris. Comets, as they travel around the sun, jettison
tiny little dust-sized particles. These debris still orbit the sun just
like Momma Comet. If Earth happens to cross their orbit just as they cross
ours, our mutual collision means the little nippers go headlong into our
atmosphere. And our atmosphere is thick enough to vaporize them in a final
blaze of glory.
On the 12th, we have a mini-shower as the Taurids pass our way. (Meteor
showers are named for the constellation from which they seem to come.
Taurids radiate out from Taurus.) Unfortunately, though, the bright full
Moon does its best at making the worst possible viewing conditions.
Not to worry! On the 17th comes the annual onslaught of the Leonids. They
have been pretty spectacular in recent years because we are passing through
a particularly thick part of the debris chain. Will this year be a spectacle?
Alas, we never know.
If
you do want to see them, dress warmly the night of the 17th, go outside
with binoculars, and be patient. The best time to see them is in the wee
hours of the morning of the 18th as North America rotates right into the
stream of doomed dust. Because we are moving toward them and they toward
us, the combined velocities of our head-on collision make them swift-moving
to say the least.
Next year, on 17 November 2001, the Leonids are predicted to be sensational
as we may (keyword: may) pass through a pretty thick part of the debris.
Now a quick overview of the planets this month:
The very bright “star” in the west after the sun sets is our
neighbor, Venus. One glance will show you why it is often mistaken for
a plane and sometimes, believe it or not, a hovering UFO.
As Venus sets in the west, Jupiter and Saturn rise in east. Saturn will
be the first up, bright and golden. Shortly afterwards, superbright Jupiter
follows.
These two are two reasons why star parties are so much fun. Seeing them
through a scope under even modest magnification dramatically heightens
the “wow” factor. Jupiter, with its stormy surface and brilliant
moons, and Saturn, with its awe-inspiring ring system, are just plain
fun to look at.
For those readers of last month’s column - which
featured tips for buying a telescope - here’s a chance to see telescopes
and the planets up close and personal. Oceanside Photo & Telescope
is having their 20th annual Star Party on Saturday the 18th from 10 AM
- 10 PM. Go and be amazed!
Until next time, clear skies!
Mark Ritter is a high school astronomy instructor and doesn’t hide
his love for Saturn. Reach him at ritter@firstlightastro.com
Posted by Administrator at 2000.11.12 09:01 AM | Comments (0)
