Catch a Falling Star out of Leo?

When I was active in Amateur Radio, we Hams got excited about the Leonid meteor shower.

This time of year, the earth passes through the debris left behind by the Temple-Tuttle comet. The particles passing through the earth's atmosphere result in a delightful cosmic light show that appears to come from the constellation Leo. Hence, this meteor shower is often called the Leonids.

Since the meteors ionize the air, radio waves reflect off the upper atmosphere. When this happens, the Amateur Radio Operators (Hams) love to get on the air and talk around the world .

Also, for those who like to wish upon a star, this is a good time.

Here are some pictures of past Leonid meteor showers, courtesy of environmental graffiti: Meteor Showers!!!

For stargazers: Happy viewing this Monday and Tuesday of the Leonid Return.
For Hams: May your talk be heard around the world: As the World Turns Ham Radio News.


For more information, check out:
The 2009 Leonid Meteor Shower at the NASA site, science.nasa.gov
Heads up! Leonid meteor shower is next Tuesday at the Kansas City Science News Examiner site.
Major Meteor Showers in 2009 at skytour.homestead.com/


Links:
Photo from everystockphoto.com: Meteor Shower