NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration

Overview:

Scientists studied annual Leonid meteor storms to determine, among other things, if such storms could cause satellites to malfunction, what chemical reactions occur as meteors enter Earth's atmosphere and to gather data to address the question, did material from comets have a role in development of life on Earth.

Media contact:
John Bluck
NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
Phone: 650-604-5026
Email: jbluck@mail.arc.nasa.gov

Key Mission People

Leonid MAC principal investigator is Peter Jenniskens. SETI Institute, Mountain View, Calif. http://leonid.arc.nasa.gov/s-jenniskens.html

Related links:

Leonids Home Page http://leonid.arc.nasa.gov/

Nov. 13, 2002
COMING SOON: LAST CHANCE TO SEE METEOR SHOWER UNTIL 2099 --
Sky watchers in Europe and the United States will have an opportunity to see the most dramatic light show of the past several decades when the Earth passes through the orbit of comet Tempel-Tuttle. The resulting Leonid meteor shower is expected to peak at 11 p.m. EST in Spain, the night of Nov. 18, 2002, and at 5:30 a.m. EST over Nebraska, on Nov. 19, 2002. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/releases/2002/02_119AR.html

Dec. 7, 2001
NASA TO DISCUSS LEONIDS, MARS AND EARLY EARTH AT AGU --
The latest models of meteors and meteoroid streams, the first science results from the November Leonid meteor storm and the latest Mars research will be presented at the fall American Geophysical Union meeting Dec. 10 through 14 at the Moscone Convention Center in San Francisco. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/releases/2001/01-98AR.html

Nov. 15, 2001
NASA LEONIDS ACTIVITIES: SLEEPY HEADS MAY MISS SPECTACULAR CELESTIAL DISPLAY --
Early birds may catch more than their proverbial worms this week. In the predawn hours of Sunday, Nov.18, the annual Leonid meteor shower may put on one of its best shows in decades, according to various scientists modeling the expected Leonid activity this year. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/releases/2001/01_88AR.html

Observers can calculate local meteor rates using their home computers via: http://leonid.arc.nasa.gov/estimator.html

Dec. 20, 2000
SURPRISE METEOR SHOWER EXPECTED ON WINTER SOLSTICE --
Astronomers forecast a brief shower of Ursid meteors on Thursday night, when the Earth will hit a dense trail of dust created in 1405, before the birth of Columbus. Excellent viewing is predicted over both the United States and Canada.

Dr. Peter Jenniskens of the SETI Institute, who is based at the NASA Ames Research Center in the heart of California’s Silicon Valley, and researcher Esko Lyytinen, from Helsinki, Finland, have used research and observation skills honed during the 1999 Leonid meteor storm to make the prediction. The shower is expected to hit the Earth at 2:29 a.m. EST on Dec. 22, 2000, (or 11:29 p.m. PST Dec. 21, 2000). http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/releases/2000/00_86AR.html

Nov. 13, 2000
LEONID METEORS YIELD RICH ASTROBIOLOGY RESEARCH RESULTS --
A team of NASA researchers and their collaborators report their findings from last year’s Leonid meteor storm in today's special issue of the journal "Earth, Moon and Planets." http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/releases/2000/00_77AR.html

Nov. 18, 1999
STORMY NIGHT FOR ASTROBIOLOGISTS STUDYING LEONID METEORS --
Astrobiologists on a NASA mission to study the Leonid meteors were in the right place at the right time to study a rare natural phenomenon -- a meteor storm. At the peak of the storm, which occurred at 02:10 GMT, Nov. 18, the Leonid meteors were falling from the sky at a rate of 2,200 per hour. A meteor shower is classified as a storm when the rate exceeds 1,000 meteors per hour. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/releases/1999/99_77AR.html

Nov. 17, 1999
FIRST NIGHT OF LEONID MISSION SUCCESSFUL FOR ASTROBIOLOGISTS --
Astrobiologists began their first airborne observation night to study the Leonid meteors on Nov. 16, 1999, as the Earth began to enter the debris train left by the periodic comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle.

At 21:50 GMT, on Nov. 16, 1999, the ARIA and FISTA, two United States Air Force planes, departed from Mildenhall in the United Kingdom for Tel Aviv Israel. During the overnight flight to Israel, the two aircraft flew approximately 80-100 miles apart from each other and as high as 38,000 feet. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/releases/1999/99_74AR.html

Nov. 15, 1999
ASTROBIOLOGISTS FLYING HIGH TO STUDY LEONID METEORS --
To gain a better understanding of the way life may have evolved on Earth, a team of scientists has begun a multinational airborne mission to study the Leonid meteors.

The Astrobiology mission began when two U.S. Air Force planes, the ARIA and the FISTA, lifted off from Edwards Air Force Base, Edwards, CA, on Nov. 13 at 11:15 a.m. (PT) enroute to Royal Air Force Mildenhall Airbase in the United Kingdom. During the mission, an international cadre of scientists will point their instruments towards the sky to study the Leonid meteors from the unique vantage-point of the aircraft. http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/releases/1999/99_71AR.html

April 9, 1999
SCIENTISTS TO REPORT FINDINGS FROM 1998 LEONID METEOR SHOWER --
Scientists will present their initial science results from the 1998 Leonid meteor shower at a press briefing to be held from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, April 12, 1999, at NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, Calif.
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/ames/news/releases/1999/99_20AR.html

Further information can be obtained at:
http://leonid.arc.nasa.gov/HTML/workshop.html (Full Story)

http://leonid.arc.nasa.gov/workshops/(The Leonid Workshop Agenda)