Leonids from Orbit
Explanation:
Here is what a
meteor shower
looks like from orbit.
During the peak of the
1997 Leonid Meteor Shower, the
MSX satellite
imaged from above 29 meteors over a 48 minute
period entering the Earth's atmosphere.
From above, meteors create short bright streaks.
Visible beneath the meteors are clouds lit by
reflected moonlight, while visible above is the
constellation of
Aries.
The
directions
of the meteor streaks are nearly parallel,
confirming that the meteors
all originate
from the same meteor stream.
Recent analysis of the 2000 Leonids meteor shower
indicates to many astronomers that the
2001 Leonids may
develop into a real
meteor storm,
with
meteor rates perhaps exceeding one per
second visible from parts of
Asia.
Authors & editors:
Robert Nemiroff
(MTU) &
Jerry Bonnell
(USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings,
and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris.
Specific
rights apply.
A service of:
LHEA at
NASA /
GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.
