(meteorobs) Leonid peak at 04:55 UT

[Skywayinc at aol.com]

I monitored _http://www.spaceweather.com/glossary/nasameteorradar.html_ 
(http://www.spaceweather.com/glossary/nasameteorradar.html)  which  is NASA's 
forward scatter meteor radar system at the Marshall Space Flight  Center (MSFC) in 
Huntsville, AL.  There was definite increase in meteor  activity that could be 
heard between 04:35 and 05:00 UT, but the by far the  greatest activity 
appeared to come at 04:55 UT, when the number of audible  "pings" increased 
considerably.  Activity dropped off rapidly right after  05:00 and by 05:05 things 
pretty much returned to normal.
 
This suggests to me that the peak might have come about 10 minutes later  
than the expected time of 04:45 UT.  It will be interesting to hear what  other 
radio amateurs (like Michael Boschat in Nova Scotia) report, as well  as the 
visual observers in the Northeast US and in Europe. 
 
-- joe rao