The Jordanian sky will witness the peak of the Leonid meteor shower next Friday

Weather of Arabia - Ammar Al-Sakkji, President of the Jordanian Astronomical Society , said that next Friday/Saturday night will witness the peak of the Leonid meteor shower, which appears actively this year from November 6 to 30. He explained in his statement on Sunday that the greatest brilliance of those meteors It occurs during the early hours of the morning, with the possibility of seeing it in most regions of Jordan and the Arab region, especially in areas far from the influence of light pollution, such as deserts and countrysides, and thanks to the optimal astronomical conditions represented by the purity of the atmosphere, the lack of light pollution, and dust, in addition to the absence of clouds.

Leonid meteor showers in the Jordanian sky

Ammar Al-Sakji, President of the Jordanian Astronomical Society, stated that studies by the International Meteor Organization showed that between 10 and 15 meteors or fireballs can be observed per hour during the peak period under standard and ideal conditions. He stressed that these phenomena constitute showers and not a meteor storm, and appear above a tower. Leo, especially above the star binary "Algieba" , forms a clear mark in the sky. If this star is tracked, it will lead observers to the center of the Leonid meteor shower's radiation, but that does not prevent seeing meteors in other directions in the sky.

Al-Sakkji explained that the radiant center of the Leonid meteor shower will appear in the sky at 11:56 PM Jordan time, at an angle of 63 degrees towards the northeast on Saturday night. He pointed out that the best time to monitor these showers is in the periods before dawn, between four and five o’clock in the morning, and at An elevation angle of 65 degrees in the east direction.

He confirmed that the moon will set on Friday evening at 9:04 p.m. , which clearly enhances the opportunity to see meteors, as the radiant center begins to rise at 11:56 p.m. , and the percentage of meteor viewing increases gradually before sunrise on Saturday morning. Al-Sakkji points out that the astronomical twilight It starts at 5:45 a.m. , which means the meteors may gradually become invisible as solar illumination increases.

History of astronomical observation... Jordanian Astronomical Society

The Jordanian Astronomical Society , which was founded in the last century, is considered one of the oldest bodies that monitor and document storms and meteor showers, and this work is carried out through the society’s ongoing camp in the Azraq region, which is one of the oldest astronomical camps in the Arab region.

Ammar Al-Sakkji, President of the Association, explained that in November 1999 , the International Meteor Organization announced that Jordan is “one of the best places in the world to monitor the Leonid meteor storm.” These announcements led to the organization of an international camp and conference by the Association in cooperation with the International Meteor Organization, Experts and astronomers from all over the world participated in it, and scientific research was published on this phenomenon, in addition to documenting the meteor storm through astronomical observation in Jordan.

Next Friday/Saturday night , the association will monitor the Leonid meteor shower through its camp in Azraq, with the aim of achieving scientific documentation goals. The meteor shower can be seen from anywhere in Jordan or the Arab world if standard monitoring conditions are available.

Al-Sakkji explained that the phenomenon of the Leonid meteor shower is a unique and distinctive astronomical event, and it occurs when the remains and dust of comets and meteorites interfere in the Earth’s orbit, entering the atmosphere and interacting with it. He stressed that this density increases when it is associated with a specific comet, which makes it have a radiation center and appear as if it radiates from A common point in the sky.

He pointed out that the comet responsible for the Leonid meteor shower is known as Comet Tempel-Tuttle , and it revolves around the sun once every 33 years and was discovered independently in 1865. The World Meteor Organization has issued a calendar for the year 2024 indicating a slight increase in the number of meteors during the period. Peak, where the shower may reach 15-20 meteors per hour.

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