Leonids 1998: A Safe Meteor Storm

Astronomy Picture of the Day · 1998-11-16 · NASA (public domain)

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Leonids 1998: A Safe Meteor Storm — APOD for 1998-11-16

You're in no danger. During the meteor storm occurring tonight and tomorrow, thousands of bits of ice and rock will likely rain onto the Earth . Few, if any, will hit the ground . Touted as potentially the most active meteor shower since 1966 , the Leonids of 1998 will be tracked by observers the world over. The meteor storm is caused by the Earth moving through the leftover debris of Comet Temple-Tuttle . The peak of the storm will be best visible tomorrow from Asia , though increased activity should be visible globally over many hours. It is even possible to monitor the storm live on the web. Pictured above is a Perseid 1997 meteor streaking across the sky behind an illuminated California desert.

Astronomy Picture of the Day for 1998-11-16 — image & explanation courtesy of NASA (public domain), mirrored at Tukuk-OS for reading and search convenience.

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