Although not directly travel related I recently read that the night of November 17/18 (time for the lower 48 united states) that from just about anywhere in the world you will be able to see the Leonid Meteor Shower.
If you can believe it scientists are predicting as many as 500 meteors per hour in this shower. For those of you with high powered cameras you are going to have a rare opportunity of catching some wonderful photography.
The meteors may be able to be seen for as long as a week, but the night of the 17/18 should be the most spectacular.
Here is a great website about the Leonid Meteor Showers.
Image from http://meteorshowersonline.com/leonids.html
So many of you may ask what are meteor showers?
According to scientists which I do not profess to be beyond enjoying a good heavenly display a meteor shower is an increase in the number of meteors at a particular time of year. Sounds simple enough right. Well it get’s deeper. The debris that becomes most meteor shower is the debris that is shed from comets as they orbit the sun.
If the earth passes through a stream of debris spread after a comet orbiting the sun then we here get to partake of a heavenly display. Depending on the location of earth in respect to the stream of debris it appears as if the meteors are falling from the constellations. So be sure to keep an eye on the ‘Big Dipper’ it may seem like part of it is falling.
Os should I say keep an eye on ‘Leo’ since meteor showers are named by the constellation from which meteors appear to fall. Leonid is named fo the constellation Leo.
So if you are like me you will be asking the question, how can I best view a meteor shower?
First and foremost is go somewhere dark. If you live in a bright city your viewing pleasure will definitely be diminished. This would be a great time to take a road trip away from the city.
Next, drive north! If you drive South the skies could become darker but the glow will dominate the northern horizon, which is where ‘Leo’ rises. Now that you have headed North find a secluded area. Perhaps at a state park or out an old logging road. Try to be secluded enough that any other traffic in the area will not blind you sensitive night vision.
Once you have located your ‘spot’ it is time to get comfortable. Bring lots of blankets so that if it is safe you can lay out on the grass/ground and enjoy the view from your back on a nice pillow and blanket. You want to position yourself so that your entire vision is filled with the stars of the sky. Put the horizon in your peripheral vision.
You should easily be able to see the meteors with your naked eyes as they streak by.
This should be a truly spectacular vision and you can bet that I will be out there viewing it. I wish that I had camera equipment sophisticated enough to capture it. Perhaps I will do some electronics shopping in the next two weeks. In the meantime, get ready I just might have a giveaway for whoever can produce the best photo of this heavely event.
Note, that I have added a countdown to this day on the sidebar.
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Sorry i’m a bit lost here, so the meteor shower would be on the 17th morning or 18th morning of 3:00AM
thanks
When I went to the link in the post and entered your location, they said the best time was between 2 and 4 am. So 3am should be a good time to go out and see if you can see them. Granted if you take a look at our other comments you will find that your location is not ideal for a good view.
Good luck.
Lord out.
i would like to know what is the best time to watch it in malaysia.. 12 am or 3 am tonight.. help me pls..
tq..
3 am is a better time in Malaysia to see the meteor shower.
Will you be able to see it from everywhere??
You should be able to. If you look at some of the other comments we have provided some additional info for you to look at and see what type of visibility you will have.
May i know the good location to capture the view of meteor shower in malaysia?
Sounds like you may not have a very good view, because of your location. see posts below for details.
HI,, may i noe where is the place tat have the best views in selangor or kuala lumpur…
take a look at the link in the post for more details. Have a great day.
I just hope so. The skies here are pretty much messed up with the Indonesian fires causing smog and it’s now the monsoon season here so it just rains almost every night.
Thanks for the heads up!
Regards,
David
Malaysia Asia
Does it mean that we do not have a chance to see it here in Malaysia?
Yes you should be able to see it, though not as strong as those in the US and Europe. Take a look at the link in the post for more details.
Thanks for the info. Now if only we could see it here in Malaysia, it would be awesome! Anyway, look forward to the pictures.
Regards,
David
Malaysia Asia
I am under the impression that everyone in the world should be able to see them although those in Europe and USA should have the best views.
If I were you I would take a chance and see if you can see them. They should be going on for a few nights but the night of the 17th should be the strongest.
The last time the Leonids were seen they were seen worldwide although they were strongest in USA and Europe. In 2007 according to http://leonid.arc.nasa.gov/estimator.html NASA Malaysia was able to see the Leonids.