[South Florida DX Association] Weekend auroras and early Leonids

[Bill Marx]

 Space Weather News for Nov. 5, 2004


> AURORA WATCH: A series of explosions from sunspot 696 on Nov. 3rd through
> 5th hurled some coronal mass ejections toward Earth, and they're due to
> arrive this weekend.  Sky watchers in, e.g., Canada, Alaska, and
> northern-tier US states should be alert for auroras.
>
> EARLY LEONIDS? The annual Leonid meteor shower normally peaks around the
> 19th of November.  This year, however, there might be an extra, early peak
> on Nov. 8th when Earth passes close to a 1000-year-old stream of dust from
> Comet Tempel-Tuttle. The precise location of this old stream is uncertain.
> Forecasters estimate, tentatively, a meteor rate of 50 to 100 per
> hour--much less than the great Leonid displays of recent years, but still
> pleasing.  Sky watchers in parts of Europe, Africa and Asia are
> best-positioned to see the Nov. 8th display--if it happens!