Posted on 11/18/2002 3:44:58 AM PST by petuniasevan
Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional astronomer.
![]() Credit & Copyright: Pierre Thomas (LST), ENS Lyon |
Explanation: The Peekskill meteor of 1992 was captured on 16 independent videos and then struck a car. Documented as brighter than the full Moon, the spectacular fireball crossed parts of several US states during its 40 seconds of glory before landing in Peekskill, New York. The resulting meteorite, pictured here, is composed of dense rock and has the size and mass of an extremely heavy bowling ball. If you are lucky enough to find a meteorite just after impact, do not pick it up -- parts of it are likely to be either very hot or very cold. In tonight's possibly spectacular Leonid meteor shower, few meteors, if any, are expected to hit the ground. |
I think the owner sold the damaged car for a nice sum.
There will be a moon, but it will be near setting and shouldn't pose too much of a problem. But get away from city lights, streetlights, etc. The meteors will seem to come from the southeast; the radiant is in the constellation Leo. Here's a diagram for 3AM:
As you are at latitude 34 north, the constellations will be slightly farther north from your point of view. Don't stare right at the radiant; the view is better when you look 45 degrees away to see the long meteor trails. (45 degrees would be like turning south or east to watch).
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.