Leonids Above Torre de la Guaita
			
		
		
			Credit & Copyright:  
Juan Carlos Casado
		
		
			Last year, the 1999 Leonids Meteor Shower came to a tremendous crescendo.  
Observers in Europe observed a 
sharp peak in the number of 
meteors visible 
around 0210 
UTC during the early morning hours of November 18.   
Meteor counts then exceeded 1000 per hour - 
the minimum needed to define a true 
meteor storm.  
At other times and from other locations around the world, 
observers typically reported 
respectable rates of between 30 and 100 meteors per hour.  
This year, the 
2000 Leonids were somewhat less impressive, 
although many astronomers hold much 
hope for the 
Leonids in 2001 and 2002.
The 
above photograph 
is a 20-minute exposure ending just before the main 
Leonids 
peak of 1999 began.  
Visible are at least five 
Leonids 
meteors streaking high above the 
Torre de la Guaita, an observation tower used during the 
12th century in Gorina, 
Spain.