(meteorobs) Leonids observation from Hawaii Nov 17 UT (Bolide over Maui)

[M Linnolt]

Skies were cloudy in the evening over Molokai, Hawaii so I decided to go to sleep and get up before dawn when the radiant would be higher, despite that time interval would be less favorable in between the main peak and the "asian" peak. (But, the main peak would be ending around local midnight when the radiant just rises out here anyway).

When I began counting at 4AM local time, the skies were mostly clear, but passing clouds interfered somewhat during the entire 1.5 hours of observing before break of dawn. Still, I managed to get a pretty nice observing session under LM=6.5 skies until dawn. My last period from 5:40-5:50 am saw rapidly brightening skies and no more meteors.

I saw moderate and steady Leonid activity for the first hour, then between 1500 and 1510 UT there was a very intense (relatively) burst of activity, with 7 LEO seen in 10 minutes. At that point I decide it best to switch to 10 min periods for the remainder of the observing. But, the burst of activity did not continue. After 1510 UT, the rates fell back to the baseline I had been observing since 4AM (about 7 LEO every half hour).

Around 1518 UT there was a bright -6 LEO bolide down near the far eastern horizon. This would have been very spectacular for anyone venturing out early on the islands of Maui or Big Island!

REPORT FOLLOWS: (Submitted to IMO visual form)
===============
OBS: Mike Linnolt (LINMI)
DATE: Nov 17, 2009
TIME: 1358 - 1550 UT
LOC: Molokai, Hawaii (21 04'N, 156 56'W)
ELEV: 150m (500 ft)
Conditions: Partly Cloudy. Temp 20C (69F).
METHOD: Paper


Observing Periods Summary:
==========================

# Period(UT) FOV    Teff   F    LM   LEO NTA STA OER SPO
- ---------- ---    ----   -    ---  --- --- --- --- ---
1 1358-1429 06h+00  0.50  1.2   6.5   5   1   0   0   2
2 1429-1500 06h+00  0.50  1.1   6.5   8   0   2   1   3
3 1500-1510 06h+00  0.16  1.2   6.5   7   0   0   0   1
4 1510-1520 06h+00  0.16  1.3   6.5   2   0   0   0   1
5 1520-1530 06h+00  0.16  1.1   6.5   3   0   0   0   2
6 1530-1540 06h+00  0.16  1.0   6.4   2   0   0   0   2
7 1540-1550 06h+00  0.16  1.0   4.5   0   0   0   0   0


Periods Detail:
===============

Period #1:
----------
Mag -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1  0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6
------------------------------------------
LEO: 0  0  0  0  0  1  0  2  1  1  0  0  0 = 5
NTA: 0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  1  0  0 = 1
STA: 0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0 = 0
OER: 0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0 = 0
SPO: 0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  1  0 = 2

DEAD TIME: 1 min

Period #2:
----------
Mag -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1  0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6
------------------------------------------
LEO: 0  0  0  0  0  0  1  3  0  2  1  1  0 = 8
NTA: 0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0 = 0
STA: 0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  1  0  1  0 = 2
OER: 0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  1  0  0  0  0 = 1
SPO: 0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  1  2  0  0 = 3

DEAD TIME: 1 min

Period #3:
----------
Mag -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1  0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6
------------------------------------------
LEO: 0  0  0  0  0  0  2  2  2  1  0  0  0 = 7
SPO: 0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  1  0 = 1

Period #4:
----------
Mag -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1  0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6
------------------------------------------
LEO: 1  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  1  0  0 = 2
SPO: 0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  1  0 = 1

Period #5:
----------
Mag -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1  0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6
------------------------------------------
LEO: 0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  3  0  0 = 3
SPO: 0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  1  1  0 = 2

Period #6:
----------
Mag -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1  0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6
------------------------------------------
LEO: 0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  1  0  1  0 = 2
SPO: 0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  1  1  0  0  0 = 2

Period #7:
----------
Mag -6 -5 -4 -3 -2 -1  0 +1 +2 +3 +4 +5 +6
------------------------------------------
LEO: 0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0 = 0
SPO: 0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0  0 = 0


END OF REPORT