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October 28, 2007

Leonid shower to light up night sky

By Fritz Osell and Bob Killam

Phases of the moon for November are:

• Nov. 1: Last quarter.

• Nov. 9: New moon.

• Nov. 17: First quarter.

• Nov. 24: Full moon (Hunter’s Moon, Frosty Moon, Beaver Moon).

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Nov. 4, set your clocks back one hour as daylight-saving time goes off.

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Nov. 18 is the peak of the Leonid meteor shower. This looks like a favorable year for this sometimes-huge shower associated with comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. The radiant is found in the head of the constellation Leo the Lion and is on view after 11 p.m. in the east-northeast sky just above the horizon and will move across the sky all night. The waxing gibbous moon is low and setting when Leo rises. Leonids approach Earth virtually head-on, so they are very swift, often bright and 50 to 70 percent leave persistent trains.

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Leonardo’s Star Quest Astronomy Club meets the second Tuesday night of the month at Leonardo’s Discovery Warehouse and fourth Tuesday at Northern Oklahoma College Enid observatory. Sessions start at 8 p.m.

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Every Wednesday and Thursday, weather permitting, the NOC observatory will open to the general public. Sessions start at 8 p.m. Large groups planning to visit should call 548-2399 to schedule an appointment.



Osell is head of the Northern Oklahoma College astronomy program. Killam is resident astronomer and astronomical league coordinator for Leonardo’s Star Quest Astronomy Club and an NOC adjunct faculty member serving as director of NOC observatory.

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