Leonids Meteor Shower-2006

Leonids Meteor Shower-2006 - what a quite disappointment.

It was expected a great Leonids Meteor Shower this year on 19/11/06 early in the morning from 3.00 to 6.00 a.m even though actual peak period was around 5.00 p.m.

The cause of this year’s possible meteor storm was Comet Tempel-Tuttle, a comet with an Earth-crossing orbit that returns every 33 years. Over the years Tempel-Tuttle has left behind a debris trail over the entire course of its orbit, and every year on November 17 (this year on Nov.19) Earth crosses through the debris trail, resulting in the normally mild Leonids meteor shower.

While astronomers predict only a minimal blast of dust debris from comet Tempel-Tuttle this year, we thought it may be a spectacular event after 33 years.

On the night of November 18 and 19 we were all geared up in Pune to watch the skies for one of the most spectacular events visible from earth none other than a blazing deluge of fiery metrors known as a meteor storm. As at their peak most meteor showers result in one or two meteors per minute, it's really interesting to watch.

However notning happened on 18/11/06 night. Not a single meteor. Can you believe, on 19/11/06, we watched hardly 20-25 meteors during 2.30 a.m. to 5.30 a.m. Out of which noting was significant meteor, not a single meteor to remember. We kept on waiting awake till 2.00 in my home, then went and settled on terriace for the curtain to finally go up. Only console was general sky observation. On the top of that few of the meteors were from the nereby region and not from Leonids. On the top of that the dust and smog settled on horizan added fuel to our frustation along with insects and mosquito bites. We were supposed to go to some fort or hills nearby with complete darkness around to enjoy beauty of the shower, but on the last moment decided agaist it and I am glad for the same. It would have been sheer disappointment.

Few years back (was that much before my marriage and when I was free bird ?) , my friend and me had gone for night cross country walk from Indapur on Bombay ( not Mumbai, during those good old days) - Goa highway to Tale only to observe meteor shower, and let me tell you that it was really splendid show by the mother nature. W were so exhasted counting the meteors finally we give away and stopped counting.

One cannot predict mother nature. Can we ?