Question - 370

Connect the image on the left to the two gentlemen on the right.

Answer: The connect is the Leonid meteor shower which happens when earth's orbit intersects the debris left behind by the comet Tempel-Tuttle (the guys in the visual). Every so often, conditions conspire to produce a meteor storm when the number of meteors seen goes up by orders of magnitude. Among the most spectacular showers was the one in 1833 which supposedly produced about 100,000 meteors per hour (compared to 500 per hour predicted for this year's shower). That night has come to be known as the night the stars fell and a jazz standard called Stars fell on Alabama was composed inspired by that shower. This has since made its way to Alabama license plates as well. The 1833 shower had all kinds of mystical significance associated with it including forceful eviction of Mormons from Independence, Missouri. Karthik, Manix, Rajesh K and Swapnaa got it. Well done.