Explanation:
The 1999 Leonids Meteor Shower came to an impressive crescendo.
Observers in Europe observed a sharp peak in the number of
meteors visible around 0210
UTC during the early morning hours of November 18.
Meteor counts
then exceeded 1000 per hour - the minimum needed to define a
true meteor storm.
At other times and from other locations around the world,
observers typically reported
respectable rates of between 30 and 100
meteors per hour.
The above photograph is a 20-minute exposure ending just before the main
Leonids peak began.
Visible are at least five
Leonidsmeteors
streaking high above the Torre de la Guaita,
an observation tower used during the 12th century in Girona,
Spain.
This year's Leonids should
peak twice
on November 19th, but is predicted to be less impressive than in 1999.
