Bright Leonids
Credit and Copyright:
Olivier Staiger
Rich in bright and
awesome
fireballs, the
Leonid Meteor Shower came early this year.
In fact, judging from
meteor watcher reports the peak came nearly 15 hours earlier
than the best
predictions.
Observers on
the Canary Islands
were probably close to an ideal viewing
location and recorded a maximum of effectively about 200 to 250
meteors per hour near dawn on November 17 - way
below the peak rate during
the 1966 Leonid meteor storm display.
Still, those blessed with clear skies in dark, early morning hours
all over planet Earth were treated to
a first rate cosmic light show.
Roving astrophotographer Olivier Staiger
took this stunning image of two bright Leonids in the
skies over Chiang Mai,
Thailand.