November...It's Time for Leonid!!!

Leonids Over Monument Valley 
Image Credit & Copyright: Sean M. Sabatini

Shooting stars or more scientifically meteor shower as we call them are loved by everyone. But, ever wondered are those really stars? Sorry, to say but they are only meteors - small chunks of matter from outer space, which lights up, actually they starts to burn when they enters the earth's atmosphere. Still they are beautiful. Well shooting stars or those burning meteors are spectacular only if they do not hit the earth. Those meteors who hits the earth surface are called meteorites.

Meteors appear to come out of the constellation Leo during the Leonid meteor shower, which is expected to peak on Monday.

Credit: StarDate Magazine

Phew! that was a lot to digest. But, hey its November - time for Leonid Meteor Shower of 2016, a spectacular event for sky-watchers. The meteor shower will starts on Nov 12 and continue to graze the night sky until Nov 21. But, there's the moon - on Nov 12, a full moon's moonlight will likely outshine most meteors. Don't get upset you will still have 9 days to come for watching the Leonid shower.

Comet Tempel-Tuttle makes its way around the sun every year 33.3 years, leaving a trail of dust rubble in its wake. Every year during November when Earth's orbit crosses the comet's orbit, the meteor shower takes place. So, sky-watchers of Northern hemisphere and some of southern hemisphere go outside, find a dark sky, lie flat on your back and enjoy the show of Leonid.

Check out Slooh Community Observatory's free online broadcast of the Leonid meteor shower if the weather ruins your show. 

Picture of the Day

The Cosmic Web of the Tarantula Nebula 
Image Credit & Copyright: Josep Drudis

About the Picture: It is the largest and most complex star forming region in the entire galactic neighborhood. Located in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a small satellite galaxy orbiting our Milky Way galaxy, the region's spidery appearance is responsible for its popular name, the Tarantula nebula. Intriguing details of the nebula are visible in the featured image shown in colors emitted predominantly by hydrogen and oxygen. Since massive stars live fast and die young, it is not so surprising that the cosmic Tarantula also lies near the site of the closet recent supernova. 

That's a hell lot of amazing facts on stars. Soon some of you might watch your first meteor shower in few days. Enjoy the Leonid Meteor Shower 2016 and don't forget to bookmark us for more such interesting news.

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