(meteorobs) Leonid Obs. Nov. 17 - Mathias, WVa

[George Gliba]

            Screech Owl Hill Observatory, Mountain Meadows
               Mathias, West Virginia 385710N 0785544W
                           Nov. 16/17, 2009

   We had a mostly cloudy night on Monday/Tuesday, but I was able
to get a good hour of Leonid watching in under partly cloudy skies
with fairly good transparency. From 8:40 to 9:40 UT, I was able to
see 14 Leonids. I can confirm the mini-outburst seen by Rich Taibi
in Maryland. In eleven minutes, from 8:59 to 9:10 UT, I observed
nine Leonids, four of which were seen the minute of 9:10. In a
few seconds I saw three of the four, which briefly reminded me of
2001, but it was over quickly. I had planned on going for another
hour, but it clouded up completely, and it stayed cloudy the rest
of the night.

   During the last part of my meteor watch, I heard some cyotes that
were yelping a short distance away down the mountain to my SE. A few
minutes later, I heard them in the NE. It was more than one, and they
seemed to be getting uncomfortably close. At that point, I became glad
that it was clouding-up, as I walked quickly with my lounch chair back
to the cabin, about forty feet away. I must admit it was kinda scary.


  Time (UT)  LM  %Obst. AND  NTA  STA  LEO  NPX  SPX  SPO Total  FOV 

08:40-09:40  6.2  25%    0    2    0   14    1    0    8   25   various


Magnitude Distributions (Nov.16/17, 2009 - 08:40-09:40 UT - LM=6.2)

    -1   0   1   2   3   4   5  total Ave.
AND  0   0   0   0   0   0   0    0   N/A
NTA  0   0   0   0   2   0   0    2   3.0
STA  0   0   0   0   0   0   0    0   N/A
LEO  0   3   5   3   3   0   0   14   1.4
NPX  0   0   0   0   1   0   0    1   3.0
SPX  0   0   0   0   0   0   0    0   N/A
SPO  0   0   0   3   1   2   2    8   3.4

Clear Skies,
GWG