Science Quickly Meteor Storm Went from Sizzle to Fizzle
Jun 4, 2014
The podcast discusses the disappointing May-Camolo-partylids meteor outburst and explains the difference between meteor showers and meteor storms. It mentions a surprise meteor storm in November 1966.
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Meteor Outburst Flopped
- The May-Camelopardalids meteor outburst was predicted to be impressive but turned out to be a dud.
- Many people watched and waited, but no one saw much meteor activity that night.
Meteor Storm Unpredictability
- Meteor showers regularly bring about 100 meteors per hour, while meteor storms can produce thousands per hour.
- However, meteor storms are rare and notoriously unreliable for prediction.
Leonids Meteor Storm Surprise
- Some meteor storms can erupt without warning, as happened with the Leonids in 1966.
- The usually weak Leonids produced more than 100,000 shooting stars in just one hour that year.