This year’s meteor shower is expected to be really spectacular. The skies in San Diego are mostly clear so hopefully the nature fireworks would be very much visible and enjoyable. Leonids Meteor Shower would be most intense at about 1:00 A.M. It is expected that 40~60 shooting stars would be visible to the naked eye.
As the moon is nascent, its light would be too dim to interfere with the light of the shooting meteors. However meteors are fully enjoyed away from the lights and signboards of the city. The meteor shower is much more visible in Asian countries. Leodis meteor shower starts from 13th of November and reaches its apex at about 16~17th November and then starts waning becoming almost invisible on 21st. The cycle is repeated every year; however 2009 is being regarded as one of the best years to watch the shower.
The meteors are born as earth passes through the debris left by the comet Temple Tuttle. As earth’s gravity pulls the small rocks towards itself the small rocks pass through earth’s atmosphere. Their speed is increased to thousands of mile per hour. The high speed creates friction with air and a burning meteor is born. From afar these burning rocks look like shooting stars.
Leonids Meteor Shower first captured the attention of astronomers in 1833. The meteor shower was named Leonids in the same year.
Let’s hope the skies remain clear and more importantly that I wake up at the ring of my clock to view nature’s show.
Meteor Shower San Diego
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