(meteorobs) Leonids 2012 . . . Same ol' story

[Skywayinc at aol.com]

Clocked in at 05:30 UT (12:30 a.m. EST) under pristinely clear  skies from 
Putnam Valley, NY.  My wife, Renate accompanied me.  No  wind, and an air 
temperature 31F (.-1C).  Saw 4 Leonids (average mag. 2 to  3), plus 2 other 
meteors that could have been late stragglers of the Taurid  stream.  
 
At 6:15 UT (1:15 a.m. EST) a broad area of mid-high level  cloudiness moved 
rapidly up from the south and west and effectively covered the  entire sky 
within 5-minutes.  My LM went from 5.2 to 3 and Jupiter and the  brighter 
stars that were still visible now resembled little fuzz  balls.  
 
My wife called it quits.  I stuck it out for a few minutes,  then went back 
inside to listen for Leonids at Spaceweather.com.   Heard a couple of long 
whistles between 2 and 2:23 a.m. EST.  Then for  whatever reason the 
streaming audio stopped.  Headed back outside  at 07:30 UT (2:30 a.m. EST) but the 
same high-level "schmutz" was in place  and toward the south I could see 
lumpy sheets of  stratocumulus evolving.  I remained until 08:00 UT (3 a.m.  
EST) hoping to see at least a nice, bright Leonid through the thin curtain  of 
murk, but it was not to be.
 
To quote sewer worker, Edward L. Norton: "I guess we're just  hangnails on 
the fickle finger of fate."
:(
-- joe rao    
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