Here's a little post-Diwali treat for Indians: they will be able to witness the Leonid meteor shower on the night of November 17 as well as during the early hours of November 18.?
The Leonid meteor shower usually shows up every year between November 6 and 30. This year, the event will be at its peak on November 17.?
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¡°The visual delight commences late in the night on November 17 and peaks before the dawn on November 18. The zenithal hourly rate is 15 to 20 meteors, with an occasional outburst.?This year, it is expected to be 15. To top it, the moon will have set when the show begins.?The Indian subcontinent is well placed for the spectacle,¡± RC Kapoor, former professor at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, told Bangalore Mirror.?
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Meteors are shooting stars seen as a star-like object suddenly shooting across the sky with a fiery trail lasting just a few seconds and as the meteor enters the earth's atmosphere, it gets heated up by friction to eventually burn up, he added.
The parent body of the Leonids is Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle.?
He added, ¡°The orbit is so oriented that the comet intercepts the earth's orbit almost exactly. The comet thus comes quite close to the earth every few visits. Consequently, the streams left behind are still dense when they encounter the earth."
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He also said that the Leonid showers are famous for being among the most spectacular fireworks in the night sky.?
¡°The great Leonid meteor storm seen in the year 1833 has become a legend for the great strength it showed up with. It was followed with similar ones in 1866 and 1867, and in recent times in 1966, 1999, and 2001. Sometimes the showers have been much below expectation as it happened in 1998,¡± Kapoor added.