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re: (meteorobs) Leonid Peak



>When will be the peak? I heard from sunset to :00 PM.

>Thanks,
>Asaf Shtull-Trauring, Amateur Astronomer


THAT IS NOT CORRECT!!

The Leonids can only be seen AFTER approximately 10 PM until dawn. They ARE 
NOT visible before then, unless they have bored through the earth's surface 
and are coming up through the ground!

The reason is, that before that time, they hit the atmosphere on the 
leading edge of the earth, and cannot reach the part of the sky you can 
see....so take a nap, and get up around 10 PM or so...and the later the 
better on the morning before the peak. The night after, the declining 
shower ZHR will be balanced by the increase in rates due to the radiant 
rising, so it may not be as critical to wait until near dawn for the 
highest observed hourly rates.