My family and I had the fortune of observing the 2001 Leonid Meteor Storm from Ayers Rock, Australia

under ideal conditions.  A weather front passed through a day before leaving a cloudless, transparent sky,

and there is no light pollution at all in this remote area of Australia.  While flying there, we met Vic Winter of

Astronomical Tours who was leading a group of enthusiastic meteor observers from the U.S.  He kindly

invited us to observe with his group from a site he had scouted out earlier.  While not a storm at the

predicted 8,000-12,000/hr. rate, it was the best meteor shower any of us had ever seen.  Bright fireballs

streaked across the sky going from horizon to horizon, many leaving persistent trains of debris.  We also

had a high rate of activity for several hours before and after the peak and many were still visible at dawn

while we were packing up and saying goodbye.

A bright Leonid streaks through the southern Milky Way above the Southern Cross and Coal Sack.

Click on the images below for more pictures.