Schools
Leonid Meteor Shower: Shaker Heights Teacher Encourages Students, Families to Watch
The astronomy teacher and planetarium director said the best predicted time to see the shower is 4 a.m. Saturday.
Shaker Heights High School astronomy teacher and planetarium director Gene Zajac encourages students and families to check out the Leonid Meteor Shower this weekend.
“I plan to look around 8 p.m. Friday and 8 p.m. Saturday night. And I will set my alarm for 4 a.m. Saturday morning," Zajac said. That's the best predicted time to see the shower. "In 2000, I witnessed the best meteor storm of my life. Only my dog would wake up and join me.”
He explained what causes the shower in a news article on the Shaker Heights School District's website.
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“Once again, the Earth is passing through debris left by a comet,” Zajac said. “This comet passes close to the sun every 33 years. It is called Temple-Tuttle. The tiny grains that are left in space are traveling very fast and will hit the Earth's atmosphere at about 40 miles per second. This will cause the meteors to be very bright.”
Do you plan to check out the Leonid Meteor Shower? Tell us in the comments.
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