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 VideoThe BBC's Sue Nelson was in cloudy Kent  real 28k  AudioDr Chris Riley : "The sky was on fire"  real 28k |
Cloud spoils Leonid show
Meteor shower over Jordan early on Thursday |
Astronomers around the world are reporting a spectacular return for the Leonid meteor shower but in the UK, heavy cloud made it a disappointing night.
Astronomers at the Armagh Observatory in Northern Ireland were among those frustrated by the weather.
Scientist John McFarland said: "It is a disappointment, but we are at the mercy of the elements. It's been overcast all night and I haven't been able to see anything at all."
It was not a complete washout for Britain.
Alastair McBeath, International Meteor Organization vice-president said cloud covered most of the sky in Morpeth, Northumberland, but he was still able to see dozens of meteors.
"Some Leonids were startlingly brilliant, showing typical golden-yellow, green-blue or violet colouring, and a few were seen flashing brightly even through the clouds" he said.
One of the best views was to be had in Hong Kong |
The annual shower reached a height of intensity at around 0200GMT, raining down a storm of shooting stars at a rate of about 1,700 per hour.
The storm died down to about 450 per hour within 90 minutes.
Observers in Spain counted more than 30 a minute at the height of the storm.
In Jordan, 25 miles from the border with Saudi Arabia, about 50 astronomers from around the world watched as fireballs flashed over the desert.
Jet chase
Jordanian astronomer Ali Abanda, said: "It is magnificent."
In Israel, observers in the Jordan valley marvelled at the canopy of shooting stars.
Ariel Cohen, professor of atmospheric sciences at Hebrew University, said, "I see this as nature's contribution to the celebration of the new millennium."
Scientists on the East Coast of the United States also reported spectacular displays.
As the Leonids reached their peak, astronomers aboard two USAF jets from the Mildenhall air base in Suffolk were flying along the coast of North Africa to the Azores, studying the comet's long debris trail.
The two research aircraft, operated by NASA and the USAF, carried an international group of scientists, including astronomers from Britain and BBC science reporter Chris Riley above the clouds.
Displays hard to predict
The Leonids, which get their name because they appear to come from the constellation of Leo, occur when the Earth passes through the dusty debris left by comet Tempel Tuttle.
Small fragments of material, mostly no larger than a grain of sand, scorch through the Earth's atmosphere at 72 km/s (150,000 mph) and burn up. This produces a streak of light in the sky.
The show is usually at its best just after the comet has visited the inner Solar System - something it did early last year.
But predicting meteor storms is never easy. The 1998 event did not live up to the forecasts and most experts were also caught out by its timing - the storm turned up 14 hours earlier than expected.
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See also: |
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18 Nov 99 | Sci/Tech |
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World marvels at meteors |
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17 Nov 99 | Sci/Tech |
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Voyage through a comet's trail |
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19 Nov 98 | The Leonids 98 |
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Picture gallery: Celestial fireworks |
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17 Nov 99 | Sci/Tech |
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Looking good for the Leonids |
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17 Nov 99 | Sci/Tech |
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How to catch the Leonids |
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Internet links: |
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Esa Leonids |
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Leonids 99 (International Meteor Organisation) |
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Leonids Live (Balloon Webcast) |
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Leonid Mac 99 (Nasa) |
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