Tempel-Tuttle: The Leonid Comet
Star trails streak this composite time exposure of Comet Tempel-Tuttle recorded by T. Puckett on January 26. Presently passing through the inner solar system on its 33 year orbit around the Sun, Tempel-Tuttle has brightened unexpectedly, but binoculars or small telescopes are still required to visually observe it. Tempel-Tuttle is also called “the Leonid Comet” as the yearly Leonid meteor shower results when the Earth crosses this comet's orbital plane and encounters cometary dust . So, while not currently rivaling the spectacle of a Hyakutake or Hale-Bopp , Tempel-Tuttle may still put on a show. When the Earth plunges through Tempel-Tuttle's debris tail in November of this year, many sky-watchers are anticipating an extremely active meteor shower to result, perhaps even a meteor storm !