Just thought I would pass this on because it has info about The Leonids Meteor
Shower which peak on Nov 17th and morning of the 18th.
Debbie
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From: "Astronomical Society of the Pacific"
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To: cave8@xxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Monday, November 16, 2015 9:35:40 AM
Subject: November Meteor Showers and the "First Frost" Moon
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ASP Skywatchers: Astronomy Picks for All Ages
This Month's Skywatching Activities: Meteor showers and the
"First Frost" Moon
"No, Chicken Little, the sky is not falling, it's a meteor shower."
Maybe you have already seen some of the news on the Taurids meteor shower
earlier this month. Some of the headlines cited fireballs in the sky, which
might sound a little frightening, but don't worry! These "fireballs" are just
bright meteors that sometimes occur during this period as Earth passes through
a stream of debris left behind by a comets.
http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/taurid-meteor-shower-space-fireball-astronomy/53394257
Comet Encke (Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/M. Kelley (Univ. of Minnesota). The
Taurid meteor shower is the result of tiny bits of dust and ice debris left
behind by the comet Encke that's orbiting the sun. As Earth passes through this
trail of cosmic debris, the particles (which are moving at 65,000 mph) burn up
in the atmosphere, creating the fiery trails called meteors. While this meteor
shower is typically unremarkable, this year it has produced some stunning
fireballs, many of which have been captured on dashcams by people around the
world. See this video for one example:
http://www.sciencealert.com/watch-amazing-dashcam-videos-show-meteor-blazing-across-bangkok-skyline
. The shower lasts an unusually long period of time due to the cometary stream
being perturbed by massive Jupiter's gravitational influence, dragging out the
show for a much longer period of time than most meteor showers, and they peaked
between November 11-12 this year.
A meteor during the peak of the 2009 Leonid Meteor Shower. (Credit: Navicore).
The Leonids Meteor Shower occurs annually from November 6 through the 30, and
will peak this year on the night of November 17 and the early morning of the
18th. While the Leonids have been responsible for several amazing "meteor
storms" in the past, this year they are expected to be relatively calm, with
experts predicting that they will produce up to 15 meteors per hour at their
peak. The Leonids are produced by dust grains left behind by comet
55P/Tempel-Tuttle. The best viewing will be after the moon sets shortly after
midnight. Meteors will radiate from the constellation Leo, but can appear
anywhere in the sky.
Remember, to get the most out of any meteor shower, find a dark place away from
light pollution, lie down and scan the entire sky with your naked eye. And stay
warm with blankets and a hot beverage!
Pleiades cluster (M45). (Credit: Adam Evans).
While you are up these fall mornings, keep your eyes peeled for the
constellations of Orion and Taurus to dominate the early morning sky, and check
out the Hyades Cluster in Taurus and the Orion Nebula (M42) in Orion with your
binoculars for a wonderful sight. The Pleiades cluster (M45) is gorgeous in
binoculars as well, to the west of Taurus and looking like a miniature Dipper.
Blazingly bright Sirius is also rising in the East near Orion. As the month
rolls along, these winter constellations will rise earlier and earlier each
night, with Orion fully risen above the horizon by around 8:00 pm by mid-month,
Sirius following shortly after. The planets Jupiter, Venus, and Mars are
tightly together and are continuing their celestial dance, rapidly changing
their positions in relation to each other every morning in the wee hours before
sunrise. The Andromeda Galaxy (M31) is also a wonderful binocular object and
visible all night long.
See "The First Frost Moon" (November 25). November's Full Moon, sometimes
called the First Frost Moon, occurs when the temperatures in the Northern
Hemisphere begin to drop below freezing at night. It will occur at 22:44 UTC.
This full moon was also known by Native American tribes as the Full Beaver Moon
because it marked the time of year to set beaver traps before the swamps and
rivers froze.
Astronomical Society of the Pacific
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