[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

NOAA's Satellites Getting Ready For Leonid Meteor Showers

NOAA

Contact: Pat Viets

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 11/8/99

99-073

NOAA's SATELLITES GETTING READY FOR LEONID METEOR SHOWERS

Satellite controllers at the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration are preparing the nation's environmental
satellites for the return of the Leonid Meteor event, currently predicted to
peak during the early morning on Nov. 18.

Meteors, popularly known as shooting stars, can be seen on any night, given a
sufficiently clear, dark sky. They are produced by the impact on the Earth's
atmosphere of small dust grains released from comets. Most meteors arrive
in "showers" at fixed times of the year, when the Earth passes close to the
orbit of the parent comet.

The Leonid meteor display is associated with the Earth's passage through the
Leonid stream. This stream consists of the debris of Tempel-Tuttle, a comet
that orbits the Sun about every 33 years. Tempel-Tuttle is the source of
debris that gives rise to the Leonid meteor shower that peaks around Nov.
17th each year.

To prepare for the event, NOAA's engineers are modifying configurations for
all three types of environmental satellites. NOAA operates the Geostationary
Operational Environmental Satellites (GOES), the Polar-orbiting Operational
Environmental Satellites (POES), and satellites in the Defense Meteorological
Satellite Program (DMSP). The satellites are operated by controllers in NOAA's
Suitland facility. The satellites provide weather and environmental data vital
to forecasting the weather and monitoring the environment.

Spacecraft configuration changes will include the alignment of on-board
solar arrays to a position parallel to the storm radiant (or direction) for
specific POES and DMSP satellites that, due to their orbital configuration,
present a large solar array cross section to the storm radiant. In addition,
specific sensors on-board the GOES and DMSP satellites will be reconfigured
to better sense attitude or local space environmental disturbances that could
be the result of meteoroid impacts. Although some command uploads may be
moved to reduce commanding during the predicted peak, satellite data and
products will not be impacted.

In addition to the configuration changes, engineering staff will augment
the normal operational support during the 24-hour period centered on the
predicted storm peak.

For more information on NOAA's satellite operations, visit:
     http://www.oso.noaa.gov/operations/

----------
Archives located at:
http://www.meteoritecentral.com/list_best.html

For help, FAQ's and sub. info. visit:
http://www.meteoritecentral.com/mailing_list.html
----------