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Friday, December 4, 1998 Published at 11:34 GMT Meteors over the desert Award-winning astrophotographer Wally Pacholka has taken this spectacular Leonid image Return to mission Leonid BBC Science reporter Chris Riley reflects on his recent trip with Nasa to study the Leonid meteor shower. Hit-and-miss meteor display The Leonid meteor storm arrived earlier than predicted leaving many observers disappointed. Leonids arrive too early The Leonid meteor storm hit the Earth' s atmosphere some 16 hours earlier than predicted and many missed the impressive sight. Picture gallery: Celestial fireworks From Mongolia to the Mojave Desert, starwatchers were out to catch the Leonids light up the heavens. These are the pictures. The night the stars fell BBC New Online's Science Editor Dr David Whitehouse looks at the history of the Leonids. Streams of dust The fragments of space debris that give rise to meteors are usually no bigger than a grain of sand. Small and dangerous Meteor showers can cause problems for orbiting satellites. Into the light storm The Leonid meteor shower was billed as a truly spectacular display of celestial fireworks. Back to top | BBC News Home | BBC Homepage ©