Are the Leonids putting on a show in 2009?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around the Leonid meteor shower in 2009, specifically its expected peak on November 17. Participants share their experiences and observations, as well as inquire about the nature and timing of the meteor shower.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Warren inquires about the Leonid meteor storm and mentions the expected peak date, expressing surprise at the lack of local star parties.
  • One participant asks about the geographical area of the Leonids and the reason for their occurrence in November.
  • Another participant explains that meteor showers are named after the constellation they appear to originate from, in this case, Leo, and discusses the origin of meteor showers from comet debris.
  • Several participants report their personal observations, with one noting a lack of meteors seen under poor conditions on November 18, questioning if others experienced unusual activity.
  • A participant mentions that the observed peak was not as spectacular as anticipated, citing a low zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) and poor weather conditions during their observation.
  • Warren shares a positive experience, stating that he and his companion saw several bright meteors during their hour of watching.
  • Another participant describes seeing bright meteors two nights before the peak, suggesting that the debris field may have been stretched, leading to earlier and later meteors than expected.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a range of experiences regarding the meteor shower, with some seeing meteors and others not. There is no consensus on the overall visibility or activity of the Leonids during this event.

Contextual Notes

Some observations are made under less-than-ideal conditions, and there is mention of variability in meteor visibility related to timing and weather, which may affect participants' experiences.

chroot
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Does anyone know the scoop on the supposed Leonid meteor storm this year? Is anyone planning on watching it? What I've read is that it will peak on November 17, but I've heard of very few star parties and such in my local area, which surprises me.

- Warren
 
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in which area does this leonids takes place and why they take place in the month of november everyyear
 
anvesh111 said:
in which area does this leonids takes place...
Meteor showers are named for the constellation they appear to emanate from - in this case, the constellation Leo.
...and why they take place in the month of november everyyear
Meteor showers come from the debris comets left when they crossed Earth's orbit and the debris field stays in roughly the same place in the Earth's orbit.
 
I watched the sky on November 18, 2am Eastern under less-than-ideal conditions for 30 minutes. Didn't see any meteors. Did anybody see unusual activity?
 
ideasrule said:
I watched the sky on November 18, 2am Eastern under less-than-ideal conditions for 30 minutes. Didn't see any meteors. Did anybody see unusual activity?

Well, you watched it about 9 hours after the peak (which was not as spectacular as expected anyway). The ZHR at that time could be well bellow 40 so it is not that strange. I didn't see anything either (observed at 22 UT - about peak-time but the radiant was quite low and the weather was crappy with occasional hydrometeorites).

http://www.arm.ac.uk/~gba/imo/leonids2009/
 
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My girl and I spent about an hour watching, and we each saw a handful of very bright meteors -- two that stretched across most of the sky. We weren't disappointed!

- Warren
 
When walking my dog, I saw a very bright meteor traveling N-S two nights before peak, and last night around 8pm or so I saw another following the same general track. It seems that the debris-field has gotten stretched a bit so there are fore-runners and stragglers days before and after the projected peak.
 

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