A heads-up. Just saw this in Dave's astro calendar:

11/18 The peak of the Leonid meteor shower (20-40/hour) occurs at 4:00

The Leonids are associated with Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. The Sky and Telescope website is a little pessimistic, stating that only 10 per hour will be seen. Peak is pre-dawn Sunday morning. The first quarter Moon will be set by the start of the observation window (midnight to dawn).

From wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leonids

Four in what time zone? I'm in United States East Coast.

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It doesn't really matter. The peak of the Leonids is fairly broad. there will be nearly as many Sat morning and Mon. morning.

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Any day you wake up on "the right side of the dirt" is a good day.

T. Anderson

Like the Kaptain says, it doesn't really matter. But here is Dave Mitsky's November AstroCalendar, the times are all UT:

November 2007 AstroCalendar

thanks for the heads up!!!

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-Cross
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So, one?

__________________
Rovers forever! - ToSeek
"Carl Sagan sent a message to ET,
Neil Armstrong walked in the Sea of Tranquility
Steve Squyers built Spirit and Opportunity
Dan Haylen upchucked in zero gravity." -Brent Simon, The Space Camp Song
'Evolution and science are one thing, but you don’t mess with Yoko Ono. Everybody knows that. ' - 386sx

Usually the Leonids are a rather minor shower. However, this year there is a chance of increased activity according to one source.

Farther on in my calendar this entry appears:

The peak of the Leonid meteor shower takes place on the morning of November 18. The First Quarter Moon will have set by that time so the peak won’t be compromised by moonlight. There is the possibility of higher than normal activity for observers on the East Coast before midnight.

Dave Mitsky

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really? Leo rises around midnight. So will they actually see more?

__________________
"I will do my best to understand and explain the universe from big to small without invoking miracles, unrepeatable events, or divine intervention. In place of those things I will use observations, mathematics, and science."


-Cross
My travel blog

Some of my Astrophotography


Those that lack education have a hard time understanding its value. - Cross

The Sky and Telesecope website has some more info, including a diagram of the radiant point:

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/obser.../11353971.html

Also, to enforce what Dave said about the possibility of seeing more:

Earthgrazing meteors can be seen as the radiant approaches the horizon. I saw two Leonids this morning, an extremely bright Earthgrazer through the French dome slot at approximately 12:30 a.m. EST (05:30 UT) and a much fainter one that emerged directly from Leo's sickle shortly before 3:00 a.m. as I was locking up the administration building at the Naylor Observatory.

http://www.space.com/scienceastronom...ry_011116.html

Dave Mitsky

__________________
Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.

I'll keep my eyes open, but unless this overcast sky clears I won't see them this year.

__________________
"I will do my best to understand and explain the universe from big to small without invoking miracles, unrepeatable events, or divine intervention. In place of those things I will use observations, mathematics, and science."


-Cross
My travel blog

Some of my Astrophotography


Those that lack education have a hard time understanding its value. - Cross

That's alright. Next months Geminid shower is much better anyway!

Except in years when they "storm", Leonids are a fairly low grade shower. From what I've read, due to perturbations caused by Jupiter, the Leonids won't storm again in our lifetimes.

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Any day you wake up on "the right side of the dirt" is a good day.

T. Anderson

hmmm.... My understanding is that it peaks every 30 years or so. In my lifetime I hope to see it maybe twice more.

__________________
"I will do my best to understand and explain the universe from big to small without invoking miracles, unrepeatable events, or divine intervention. In place of those things I will use observations, mathematics, and science."


-Cross
My travel blog

Some of my Astrophotography


Those that lack education have a hard time understanding its value. - Cross

It's more like 33 years, but note: due to perturbations caused by Jupiter in my previous post! Jupiter has pulled the streams (at least the ones that cause storms) so they no longer intersect the Earth's orbit.

__________________
Any day you wake up on "the right side of the dirt" is a good day.

T. Anderson

That's correct. No major Leonid storm is expected to occur until at least 2098.

Dave Mitsky

__________________
Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.