> LEONID METEOR SHOWER STARTS SLOW, COULD BE MOST SPECTACULAR IN 33 YEARS

Professional and amateur star watchers worldwide early Wednesday were
viewing the annual Leonid meteor shower, which is predicted to put on its
best show since 1966. NASA reported counting up to 40 meteors per hour by
mid-evening Tuesday, but later the count trailed off to 10 to 15. A peak of
more than 2,000 an hour is hoped for. The shower's opening salvo prompted
panicked reports of fireballs and plane crashes in the Midwest region of the
United States. Authorities told callers not to worry. -CNN.com