November 14, 2004
Billions of years of cosmic evolution — the birth and death of stars, the slow coalescence of planets, the patient unfolding of life — all...
Leonids Above Torre de la Guaita
Birthday · November 14, 2004
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APOD published November 14, 2004. Credit: Juan Carlos Casado. A publication-date match, not a photo taken on your date. Independent of NASA.
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 Leonids meteors 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.
Image credit: Juan Carlos Casado