The Leonids Meteors appear when the Earth plows through debris left behind by comet Temple-Tuttle. When the particles, which range from the size of sand to the size of gravel, hit the upper atmosphere, they heat up the gases there, causing Nitrogen to glow green and Oxygen to glow pink. The 2001 shower was the richest in years, with bright meteors flashing every few seconds. The Big Dipper is upside-down in the upper right.

Nikon 24mm lens at f2.8. Composite of 12 exposures on Fuji Provia 400 taken between 4:50 and 5:20 am EST on November 18, 2001. The background image was a 45 second exposure with the camera on a tripod. Photographed from northern New Jersey. ©2001