International Meteor Organization - Science note on the Leonids 2000

Where and when to look

As explained above, peak activity of the Leonid meteor shower this year will only be visible from mainly western Europe and Africa, North America except for the Pacific Time Zone, Central America and parts of South America. European, African and NE South American observers should watch around 3:44 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time, North American, Central-American, and NW South-American observations should watch around 7:51 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time (conversions to local time are given in the Summary at the beginning this note). To see any activity, people there must either stay up long on 17 November or rise early on 18 November. Expect to see 50 to 100 meteors per hour around the peak times, but be prepared for both lower and higher activity!

However, much is going to depend on the weather, which is generally unstable in northern locations at that time of year. There, the best strategy to avoid bad weather is closely following the weather charts and travel one day in advance to the location within your "action radius" that offers the most favourable prospects. Whether you choose to travel or stay at home, you will have to wait and see until the last moment if weather conditions will be favourable - a patch of clouds or a clearing at the right time can create a world of difference!

Besides weather, light pollution is an important factor in choosing an observing sight. Generally, Leonid meteors are not that bright: the more light pollution, the fewer meteors you will see! So, choose a dark spot!

As explained above, Leonid meteors cannot be seen before midnight. Hence, there is no point in starting an observation earlier. People who cannot afford to watch the entire second half of the night should focus on a period of, say, one and a half-hour centred around the peak time mentioned for their location. On the other hand, dedicated observers should also consider to cover also (the second halves of) the nights before and after, to watch for the possible secondary peak mentioned above or any unexpected activity.

	What may be expected this year?
	How to watch?

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Last Update: 08 Sep 2005