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NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

🌌 NASA Astronomy Picture of the Day

The Leonid Meteor Shower (Tonight) Credit:

Date: 1996-11-16

The Leonid Meteor Shower (Tonight)
Credit:

View HD Image

Explanation:

Tonight thousands of icy rocks will hurl toward
Earth in a fascinating display of light called the Leonid Meteor Shower.
There is little danger - few will reach the ground. But this
year's Leonids
could be nothing compared to the Leonids in 1998.
Then, the Leonids might rival any meteor storm this century,
with peak rates possibly toping 40 per second. Meteor showers
result from debris left by passing comets.
The Leonids specifically are small pieces of Comet Tempel-Tuttle.
In the above series of time-lapse, 1-minute exposures,
a 1995 Leonid is seen to leave a train of hot air that glowed
persistently for several minutes.