THE LEÓNIDAS
The astronomers predict tonight for the greater fleeting star storm of last the 30 years
The meteorite rain will be contemplated mainly in its fullness in North America and in Asia and Australia
Efe | Madrid
Thousands of Leónidas will cross the terrestrial atmosphere tonight, in which it will be the greater meteorite rain of last the 30 years. Of 2,000 to 15,000 fleeting stars per hour they will hurry on the sky in a unique spectacle that will be only contemplated in its fullness in North America and mainly in Asia and Australia.
Europe will not be the best place to watch the luminous plans of meteorites (fleeting stars), because their two " tips " of greater activity agree with the diurnal schedule, in the Spanish case to 11,00 in the morning and 19,00 of afternoon (peninsular) of day 18.
In this occasion, a moon in phase of first quarter - therefore little shining and its putting near the one of the Sun will favor the observation.
The first " maximum tip " of predicted activity east year for the Leónidas, - that will not by day be seen in Spain be -, will reach 2,000 stars to the hour, whereas the second goes up to around the 15.000.
These maximums will not last beyond half an hour and still in the best visibility conditionses in general only usually they are seen from thousands 3.000.
The previous star more intense rain of the decade took place in 1999, with more than 3,500 meteorites to the hour, whereas in year 2000 the number reached the 500 per hour.
For his observation it is essential to choose the possible darkest place, - for it he is better to move away about to 150 kilometers of the great cities or other light sources -, and to locate themselves in a high site from where it is watched through smaller amount of atmosphere.
The Leónidas comes from the Temple-Tuttle comet, that completes its orbit every 33 years, and is in these dates when the Earth crosses the veil of matter left to back by its long tail, but sometimes it runs into with great nubarrones, producing true fleeting star storms.
This year, the inhabitants of China, Australia and the coast of the Pacific will be able to have gusts of wind of up to 15,000 meteors per hour, perhaps and those of the coast the west of North America and Hawaii appreciate gusts of wind in mayores amounts that the rest of the continent.
Leónidas because they seem to them to arise from the constellation of Leo and their fragments are very small, in its majority is called nonmayores that a rice grain.
Just watch out for those 'gusts of wind', senor!