The Leonids

The annual Leonid meteor shower this year is expected to be above-average viewing.

Some quality links:
◦ Strong Leonid Meteor Shower Peaks Early Tuesday Morning

◦ November's Best: The Legendary Leonids

Drag yourself out of bed after midnight tonight (peak is reportedly 1 a.m. - 4 a.m.), grab a blanket and sit by the window to watch falling space debris. The forecast is for clear skies, and we are moonless (officially called a "new moon"), so it doesn't get much better, weather-wise.

We have not had a very good viewing year here in the Northeast since 2001. I remember that I had been up that night writing a paper (not last-minute... I just did a lot of my best writing in college in the pre-dawn hours) and intermittently got up and sat at the French doors in the living room that overlook the lake. That show was quite good, and especially at that time, it served as a reminder --- for me at least --- to maintain perspective. There are constants even in our ever-changing world.

According to The [New London] Day link above, there should be about 500 meteors an hour. Enjoy the show!

(Image © Juraj Toth, Modra Observatory, 1998)