Did a Leonid meteor crash into the Moon, leaving a crater like this one?
Click on image for full size
Courtesy of NASA
Highlights of the Leonid Meteor Shower
News story originally written on November 23, 1999
The Leonids have come and gone, but scientists are still studying this exciting meteor shower. One astronomer believes that he videotaped a meteorite impacting the Moon!
Viewers in Europe and and parts of the Middle East saw the best show on November 18, 1999. Scientists estimate an average of 70 meteors an hour. Those living in North America had a small but respectable average of 20 to 40 an hour. All those that woke up before dawn received a special treat.
But not all scientists were looking through their telescopes. NASA launched a weather balloon shortly after the shower's peak, in hopes of capturing a meteoroid, which is a tiny meteor about the size of a grain of sand. Although the chances are very slim, scientists are hoping their instruments captured one of these speedy particles.
"It works like flypaper," explains NASA astrophysicist Dr. John Horack. "When tiny particles in the atmosphere strike the exposed acrylics, they stick."
You might also be interested in:
It was another exciting and frustrating year for the space science program. It seemed that every step forward led to one backwards. Either way, NASA led the way to a great century of discovery. Unfortunately,
...moreThe Space Shuttle Discovery lifted off from Kennedy Space Center on October 29th at 2:19 p.m. EST. The weather was great as Discovery took 8 1/2 minutes to reach orbit. This was the United States' 123rd
...more A moon was discovered orbiting the asteroid, Eugenia. This is only the second time in history that a satellite has been seen circling an asteroid. A special mirror allowed scientists to find the moon
...more Will Russia ever put the service module for the International Space Station in space? NASA officials want an answer from the Russian government. The necessary service module is currently waiting to be
...moreA coronal mass ejection (CME) happened on the Sun early last month. The material that was thrown out from this explosion passed the ACE spacecraft. The SWICS instrument on ACE has produced a new and very
...moreJ.S. Maini of the Canadian Forest Service called forests the "heart and lungs of the world." This is because forests filter air and water pollution, absorb carbon dioxide, release oxygen, and maintain
...moreIn late April through mid-May 2002, all five naked-eye planets are visible at the same time in the night sky! This is includes Mercury which is generally very hard to see. You won't want to miss this!
...more