Leonid meteors

A Dictionary of Astronomy | 1997 | 700+ words | Copyright

Leonid meteors A meteor shower showing weak activity (maximum ZHR 15) in most years, although meteor storms sometimes occur when the parent comet, Tempel–Tuttle, returns to perihelion, at approximately 33-year intervals. Leonid storms were seen in 1799, 1833, 1866, 1966, 1999, 2001, and 2002. During the storm of 1966November17, the Leonid ZHR may have reached 100 000 for 40 min. The most recent storms, in 1999, 2001, and 2002, had peak ZHR up to about 4000. Activity is usually substantial for several years either side of the storms. Leonids are seen from November10 to 23, with maximum on November17, when the radiant lies at RA 10 h 12 m, dec. +22°, in the Sickle of Leo. Leonids have the highest geocentric velocities of any meteor stream, 71 km/s, and a large proportion leave persistent trains.

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