This year may produce another enhanced return of the Leonid meteor shower, with ZHR hourly rates expected to exceed 150+ according to independent studies by Jérémie Vaubaillon, Mikhail Maslov, Esko Lyytinen, Danielle Moser, David Asher, Mikiya Sato and their respective collaborators (click the links for details). The main peak(s) are expected to occur in the night of November 17 to 18 around 22h00 UT (= 17h00 US Eastern, 23h00 Central Europe, 3h30 India, 6h00 Beijing), although variable activity may happen at almost any stage between November 16 and 18. Continuous monitoring is necessary. Leonids are generally only visible after local midnight from any longitude, with the exception of some long Earth-grazing Leonids before midnight when the radiant is still very low. Consult the shower calendar for more background.

Scientists depend strongly on visual observations by volunteers to test the theoretical models and improve future predictions. For more information on contributing your own observations, please consult the observing instructions and the instructions for filing a report. The IMO offers an electronic report form to submit your observations, and will automatically include them in the ZHR activity graph shown on the right.

Important note for visual observers: to allow for detailed analysis, please report the Leonid activity in short intervals. Try to avoid more than 5 to 10 Leonids per interval, and in any case avoid intervals longer than 10-15 minutes throughout November 17. Even when the rate is poor due to low radiant elevation or bad weather; the few meteors that you see may be part of an outburst and the exact time of their occurrence helps to determine the outburst time. Note that you can customize the number of rows in the report form or simply submit multiple forms.

Contact for observers in China with translation problems: 亚洲的观测者： 如果你有任何的问题，请联系 gba@arm.ac.uk。邮 件可以使用中文。

As announced last month, the International Meteor Conference 2010 will take place from 16 to 19 September in Armagh, Northern Ireland. The registration has not been opened yet, but a website with details about the location, program and travel options is now available at http://www.imo.net/imc2010. If you wish to get in touch with other people planning to participate in the conference, you can join the IMC2010 event page on Facebook.

In other website news, the IMO webserver has been upgraded to better cope with the demand during major meteor showers. The website and ZHR graphs should load significantly faster now!

The new issue of the Journal of the International Meteor Organization is now in print. It will be posted shortly; all IMO Members and WGN subscribers should receive it soon. Subscribers can also immediately access the Journal in PDF format.

If you are not yet a member of the International Meteor Organization, you can become one by filling out the electronic registration form and pay the corresponding dues. In this way, you will also receive the other issues of 2009, both as paper copy and electronically!

After another very successful International Meteor Conference (IMC), in Porec, Croatia, the next IMC will take place in Armagh, Northern Ireland, from 2010 September 16th (Thursday evening) to 19th (Sunday lunchtime). It will be organized by the Armagh Observatory, a modern astronomical research institute having a rich heritage and a longstanding association with meteor science. Most participants will be accommodated in the Armagh City Youth Hostel; there is also bed & breakfast and hotel accommodation in Armagh.

The registration fee, probably similar to this year at 150 EUR (includes meals and accommodation), and other details will appear in time for registration to open early in 2010. The local organizing committee is Apostolos Christou (chairman), David Asher, Geert Barentsen and Miruna Popescu. More information will be communicated when it becomes available, through the IMO mailing list, the Journal WGN, and this website.