今年獅子座流星雨極大 中國各地均可見

November's wonderful Leonid meteor shower happens every year at this time, as our world moves through space. It occurs when Earth crosses the orbital path of Comet Tempel-Tuttle, which, like all comets, litters its orbit with bits of debris. It's when this comet debris enters Earth's atmosphere, and vaporizes, that we see the Leonid meteor shower. In 2015, the peak night of the shower is expected from midnight to dawn on Wednesday morning (November 18). The waxing moon will set in the evening hours, so moonlight will not obstruct this year's Leonid shower. Also, it'll be fun to look for the planet Jupiter, which shines in front of the constellation Leo this year. Watch for the Leonids on the mornings of November 17 and 18!

根據地球運動的位置，每年十一月份的時候，我們就會迎來獅子座流星雨。此時地球與坦普爾塔特爾彗星軌道相交，該彗星軌道的碎片進入地球的軌道,與大氣層摩擦，最後燃燒蒸發，這樣我們就看到了獅子座的流星雨。2015觀賞該流星雨的最佳時機是週三（11月18日）的半夜到黎明。那天只是前半晚月光皎潔，所以不會影響對獅子座流星雨的觀賞。並且，在獅子座流星雨前，還可以觀賞木星。11月17日和18日的清晨，請盡情觀賞獅子座流星雨吧！

How many Leonid meteors will you see in 2015? The answer of course depends on when you watch, the clarity and darkness of your night sky. The Leonids are usually a modest shower, with typical rates of about 10 to 15 meteors per hour at the peak, in the darkness before dawn.

2015年我們能看到幾場獅子座流星雨呢？這取決於你什麼時候看，你所在地區夜空的清晰度和暗度。獅子座的流星雨通常都是中等規模的流星雨，在黎明前流量每小時最多可達10到15顆。

When should you watch for Leonid meteors in 2015? Knowing what time to watch is easy. As with most meteor showers, the best time to watch the Leonids is usually between the hours of midnight and dawn. The expected peak mornings are November 17 and 18. That's the morning (not the evening) of the 17th and 18th. Fortunately, the waxing moon won't jeopardize the view of this year's Leonid meteor shower.

2015年，我們應該什麼時候看獅子座流星雨呢？答案很簡單。和其他大多數流星雨一樣，獅子座流星雨的最佳觀賞時間在半夜和黎明期間。而今年11月17日和18日的早晨就是最佳時期。我們很幸運，朗月並沒有影響今年獅子座流星雨的觀賞。

Where should you watch the meteor shower? We hear lots of reports from people who see meteors from yards, decks, streets and especially highways in and around cities. But the best place to watch a meteor shower is always in the country. Just go far enough from town that glittering stars, the same stars drowned by city lights, begin to pop into view.

我們應該在哪看流星雨呢？很多人說，他們在院子裏、艙板上、街道上、城市及周邊的高速上看，但觀賞流星雨的最佳地點是在鄉村。在市內，星光會被城市的燈光沖淡，而在距離城市很遠的鄉村，我們可以清晰地看到星羣。

Which direction should I look to see the Leonids? Meteors in annual showers are named for the point in our sky from which they appear to radiate. This shower is named for the constellation Leo the Lion, because these meteors radiate outward from the vicinity of stars representing the Lion's mane.

我們應該看獅子的哪裏呢？每年流星雨的星星根據它們在天空發光的位置命名。獅子座流星雨正是因爲星星在獅子鬃毛的位置。

In recent years, people have gotten the mistaken idea that you must know the whereabouts of a meteor shower's radiant point in order to watch the meteor shower. You don't need to. The meteors often don't become visible until they are 30 degrees or so from their radiant point. They are streaking out from the radiant in all directions.

近些年來，人們錯誤地認爲要看場流星雨，必須知道它發光後的最後行蹤。其實沒必要。這些星星通常從大概離其發光點30度後就看不到了，它們向各個方向發光隕滅。