Update on the Leonids

Meteor storms are of concern to satellite operators because they are a natural impact hazard. Little is known about their cause and effect. Meteor storms are rare and have never been studied by modern techniques. Now, the upcoming Leonid returns of November '98 and '99 offer a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to gather data that can help assess the impact hazard of meteor storms and provide a wealth of data on the physics and chemistry of meteoroids accreting into the Earth's atmosphere. Three months before the Nov. '98 return, we here give an update of what to expect and what observing efforts are going to be made.