November 17, 1998, and again in 1999, represent our one chance-in-a-lifetime to anticipate a meteor storm and explore the event to learn about the nucleus of one particular comet, 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. This parent of the Leonid shower is remarkable because of its orbit, with an aphelion near Uranus and a node near the Earth's orbit since more than 1000 years. As a result, historic accounts of Leonid storms have mapped out the dust distribution near the comet, which gives us confidence that Earth will cross the general region of relatively recent debris when it passes the node of the comet orbit in November of the next few years. The Leonid return of 1998 will be best observed from China and other parts of eastern Asia. The unique scientific opportunities of this event ask for an international observing effort with all available resources. With regards to the nucleus of comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, it is possible to address the composition of this particular comet, both the main element composition, the presence of organic matter and the silicate mineralogy. It is possible to address variations in comet composition of relatively large mm-cm sized grains, an important constraint for the radial mixing in models of the proto-solar nebula and the formation history of comet nuclei. It is possible to examine the physical properties of the cometary material in terms of density and fragmentation properties. Moreover, it will be possible to measure directly the ejection velocities of large grains (mm-cm size) from comets, which comprise most of the mass loss of comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. And it is possible to measure the particle size distribution over ten orders of magnitude in mass, the largest possible mass of which is determined by the size of the comet nucleus and the mechanism of ejection. These studies can be done with conventional meteor observing techniques such as optical imaging, slit-less spectroscopy, and radar, but also using non-conventional techniques. For example, telescopes can be used to do spectroscopy of meteor train emission, the shower being rich in long lasting (5-10 minutes) persisting trains. Spectroscopic techniques that normally have low detection rate can now be used in combination with other techniques with a chance of success. And spaceborn observations of meteors and cometary meteoroids are finally possible. A number of national and international efforts are being planned to observe this event and some will be addressed. More information on the Leonids, prospects, recent results and plans can be found at: http://www-space.arc.nasa.gov/~leonid/.