Explanation:
The 2004 Leonids meteor shower had its ups and downs.
Although average rates were significantly less than many previous years,
as expected, at least two unexpected
"mini-outbursts" of several bright meteors over a few minutes were reported.
Pictured above, a bright
Leonid meteor was imaged by a
Night Sky Live camera over
Kitt Peak National Observatory
early in the morning of November 19 during one mini-outburst.
The meteor appears as the streak just to the left of the
green "Ursa Major" label.
Moving your cursor over the image will show the
image taken about 25 minutes later where two bright
Leonid meteors from a second mini-outburst were recorded,
visible on the lower right just to the left of the green words
"Canis" and "Minor".
The stars appear to shift between the two images because of the
rotation of the Earth.
The Night Sky Live frames show
fisheye images, capturing the entire sky as a
person would see it looking straight up, including
peripheral vision.
In mid-December, the
Geminids meteor shower will give
sky enthusiasts another good chance to
see live meteors.
