(meteorobs) Leonids from Belgium

[Michel Vandeputte]

Hi folks,

 

Short note about my Leonid Observations in Belgium. The weather was pretty bad during the maximum period. My first Leonid observation session was 12-13/11 (already posted on this list last week). After that night, the night sky stayed totally overcastted. A severe and very active cold front passed our country during 18 November. There was also a stormy wind. During the morning hours from 19th November I could already observe during some thin holes in the clouds (4.35-5.40 UT). The Leonid activity was enhanced and I observed many bright shower members under difficult circumstances. At 19 November, we enjoyed a local whether phenomena, called : the shadow of England. When the weather comes from the NW, the south western part from Belgium lies directly  in the shadow of England. Active showers from the North sea are almost not able to reach this part of my country. The shadow was also active during 19-20/11, bringing my crystal clear and frosty night skies. A French cirrus front disappeared. I watched the sky between 22 UT - 03.30 UT (5.5 hours) with my fellow companion Simon Vanderkerken . There was no enhanced activity from the Leonids. But the shower still produced bright meteors up into the -2 magnitude range. The Taurids were also good active during this night. The reports from both nights will follow on this list. 

 

PS to Bob Lunsford, Pierre Martin and Wes Stone : always a pleasure to read your meteor reports ; wish we had the same stable weather conditions  over here.And Jin Zhu ; reading your Leonid report from China ; all those good memories from 2001 are coming back right now..

 

Clear skies ! 

 

Michel Vandeputte 

VVS meteor section Belgium - Dutch Meteor Society. 
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