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2001 Leonid Meteor Shower, via the AP
Are you guys totally stoked for the crazy two-day Leonid meteor shower that's about to go down? Our man on the street, with his eye on the sky, Joe Schumacher tells us: "It looks like there will be two peaks, a lesser one starting around 4 a.m. EST on Tuesday and the larger one about 12-13 hours later. The first one should have 2-3 dozen meteors per hour." While the light pollution will likely block the experience for many, the skies will be clear and cooperating.
If you can see it, NASA says the Leonids will appear to come out from Mars, and the Sky & Telescope blogger provides this handy illustration along with some other informative tips.
There's at least one group of folks heading over to Rockaway for a darker setting, and the Parks Department suggests Fort Totten... at 7:30 p.m. tomorrow. They say "This is the best time to view the Leonids Meteor Shower, peaking at 40 meteors per hour." Please note: that is not the best time to view the shower, and we've contacted the Parks folk to see where they got this information from. Space.com says that the peak of the shower will come during pre-dawn hours Tuesday, so you'll probably need some extra coffee at work tomorrow. If you get any photos, you know where to send them.
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I am liking these Space observations posts from you Gothamist, keep at it!
I mean we can't have self-absorbed insipid Hipster-Yuppie nonsense all the time, can we?
The best spot for viewing in New York City is in Inwood Hill Park on the north end on Manhattan:
http://www.moonbeam.net/InwoodAstronomy/events-20091117.shtml
Yep, jason (the organizer) is great... See you up there!
Oh nice, thanks for posting!
Is this the same invasion that was forecasted a few days ago in Central park with the flashing red lights?
I can't wait for 2012 when they really bring it on.
Kudos to Gothamist for posting about this :) Sadly, it will be really crappy viewing for most New Yorkers, but if you trek out far enough from the city center, you should catch some meteors anyway. It really is a sight to behold...
I even hear that some friends are going out now to see them late tonight.
There is a map at the link above. If you do wish to come, dress warmly, bring a chair to sit on that lets you look straight up, a flashlight with a red tint (paper or cellophane or marker on the glass) and good shoes. Most importantly, this is a no-noise, no alcohol event. The Parks people really want it to be safe above all else. So please come join us safely and we'll have a great time.
In the meantime, here is a link about the Shower from Science@NASA:
http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2009/10nov_leonids2009.htm?list1090191
Jason Kendall
"In The Park After Dark"