A heavenly display of meteors is predicted to streak across the sky this evening during the second peak of the annual Leonid meteor shower.
Eugene observers may miss their only chance to catch a naked-eye glimpse of the shower’s climax because of local weather forecasts of clouds and rain all this week, however.
Popularly called a “shooting star” or a “falling star,” a meteor is an object ranging from the size of a dust particle to a large rock that enters Earth’s atmosphere and is heated by the friction of air resistance, according to the American Meteor Society. Tonight’s meteors are named after the lion-shaped constellation Leo, and the Leonids have already been spotted on the opposite side of the globe and are expected to peak between midnight and dawn, according to www.space.com.
Astronomy Professor Jim Schom-bert said Eugene sky watchers willing to suffer frigid temperatures and forecasted rain should head for the hills and try to perch somewhere above the clouds for this year’s shower.
“It also helps to get away from light pollution,” he said.
If the weather clears, observers should look toward the east for a small flare of light shooting across the sky every couple of minutes, a rate not as stunning as recent years. Schombert said people should also keep an eye out for less brilliant displays that will occur all week long.
“Hopefully, the weather will clear up enough this weekend,” he said.
In addition to tonight’s shower, Jupiter and Saturn will also be visible sky watching targets through to the end of December.
According to NASA, the comet Tempel-Tuttle creates the Leonids as it swings through the inner solar system every 33 years. With each trip it leaves a trail of dust particles — or meteoroids — and debris, which create the meteor showers.
The Leonid meteor shower first peaked for viewers in western Asia, Indonesia and Australia before dawn on Nov. 14. For western Africa, western Europe, North America and western portions of South America, the display peaks tonight.
The last Leonid meteor shower was actually a storm, meaning it was significantly more dense, and took place in 2001 when millions of people across the United States witnessed a spectacular display, according to the American Meteor Society. During a Leonid shower in 1998, observers all over the world were greeted by numerous fireballs, which are significantly brighter than most meteors, and persistent trains of light.
For more information about the Leonid meteor shower and its origin, visit www.space.com.