NOVEMBER METEOR SHOW

"Meteor Show on Marinduque Beach". How's that for a tourist come-on?

Many years ago, one moonless night, my friends and I camping out atop the mountains of Mahinhin, central Marinduque, were amazed to see a spectacle of meteors shooting in different intervals that lasted until dawn... with some lull in-between.

Little did we know that each year at about the same time on Nov. 17-18 there’s really something called the Leonid meteor shower occurring. Yet it was quite an experience to be on an open space with the sky all around us putting on a unique show of stars shooting and no one could explain why.

Starting tonight, I’ll be on the beach in Bahaghari, Amoingon to find out what will be up in the sky this time, shooting stars falling down in dramatic bursts or just a few one could count on his fingers. Maybe one occasion, this, when one wished there'd be a brownout again so the stars wouldn't be drowned out by the lights.
From news.yahoo.com: "We're predicting 20 to 30 meteors per hour over the Americas, and as many as 200 to 300 per hour over Asia," said Bill Cooke of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office. Other astronomers who work in the nascent field of meteor shower prediction have put out similar forecasts.

“Urban dwellers and suburbanites will see far fewer, as the fainter meteors will be drowned out by local lights. The best viewing will be in rural areas. Get out of town if you can. If you have local lights, scout a location in advance where the lights are blocked by a building, tree or hill.”

From Space.com: “The Leonid meteors are debris shed into space by Comet Tempel-Tuttle, which swings through the inner solar system at intervals of 33.25 years, looping around the sun then heading back into the outskirts of the solar system. With each visit the comet leaves behind a trail of dust in its wake.”

Nov. 18 early a.m., Asia/India/Indonesia.

"The "Main Event" in 2009 is expected to take place when the Earth has rotated about 12 to 14 hours after passing through the first round of comet dust from 1567. Astronomers Jeremie Vaubaillon (France), Mikhail Maslov (Russia), David Asher (Ireland), and Bill Cooke and Danielle Moser (NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office/MEO) are all in agreement that material that was ejected from the nucleus of Tempel-Tuttle during the years 1466 and 1533 will likely produce a very strong meteor display over much of Asia, India and Indonesia."

So, cheers to the meteors we'll sing to and catch on the beach!

(Photos courtesy of Brian Scott & Chip Griffin. Space.com).