The Leonid meteor shower occus every year on the nights of Nv. 17 and 18...but the really big displays are spaced apart by not 1 year, but 33 years. Explain why.
2006-12-08 16:58:04 · 3 answers · asked by wafflehouse 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
imposter
2006-12-09 02:10:48 · answer #1 · answered by Report Abuse 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The leonids are caused by us passing through the trail of the comet Tempel-Tuttle. As it get's closer to the sun, it starts to melt and loses some of it's body, creating a path of debris, dirt, ice, and dust that basically stays in the same elliptical path.
Every year we fly through this path, occasionally hitting a more rocky spot rather then a dusty spot, giving us a better show. However, every 33 years that comet returns, and replenishes the debris trail, so for the next few years the meteor showers are truly spectacular, with many tens of thousands of meteors per hour at times.
and in case you are curious,the leonids get their name because the shooting starts seem to all originate from the constellation Leo.
2006-12-08 17:14:45 · answer #2 · answered by Curious George 1 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The meteors that enter our atmosphere in mid-November every year are tasty tidbits that have been left behind by the Tempel-Tuttle comet. Most years, there isn't much around, but every 33 years Tempel-Tuttle screams through Earth's orbit and leaves a whole new pile of spacejunk to get in our way. When the planet comes through that year, the show is much more impressive than on a regular year. But, after that, it's back to leftovers again.
2006-12-08 17:08:59 · answer #3 · answered by drkslvr8 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋