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(meteorobs) RE: shower of fireballs Nov 16/17

Well, surprise, surprise.  Out of nowhere the Leonids have revived with the
most brilliant shower I have ever seen.  The sky cleared an hour after dark
and stayed that way.  Comfortable temps in mid-high-60's but the mosquitoes
were quite bad. After several dry weeks was not expecting the latter at all.
>
>We just had a 1961- and 1965-type display, rivaling the Perseids and about
half Geminid-strength.  In 5.32 hours I recorded 125 Leonids, 11 North
Taurids, 2 South Taurids, 1 N/S Taurid, 1 Alpha Monocerotid, and 30
sporadics in sky 7.3 throughout.  Hourly Leonid rates 1226 - 526 EST
(526-1026 UT) were 7,21,23,28,39.  (I beat Bob for the top hour.  Never mind
that my sky was darker ; I need every advantage to overcome his high
perception!)  Average magnitude for 123 Leonids was a stupendous 0.68!  Only
11 Leonids were fainter than +3m; faint ones were almost absent.  I had 14
Leonids at -3m or brighter, including two -8's, three -6's, two -5's, and
two -4's.  I agree with George : orange was remarkably dominant.  The
brightest 14 had 6 orange, 4 blue, 2 white-blue, 1 yellow, and 1 blue-green.
All except the white-blue were intense colors.  Seemed like a Halloween show
with all the orange.
>
>Trains were also spectacular.  My 3 best went 5,3,1 minutes.  Seven others
10s or better.
>
>Joan came along and was amazed at the beautiful trains.  But she was too
tired from a very long day without rest, so she fell asleep after 2 hours.
>
>From messages I have seen so far, Europe tentatively had the best of it.  I
want to hear what observed rates went into the ZHR 90 determination.  The
radiant was almost overhead by dawn so I know the ZHR here can stand at just
under 40.  It sounds lower from California.
>
>So 1963 could have had a brief strong display that went unnoticed, and the
year before and after.
>
>From Joseph and Bob:
>  Niether of us had seen this before.  Around
>>  the head of the meteoroid, there was this sorta glow, halo, luminence, as it
>>  sped thru the atmosphere.  We both clearly perceived it.
>
>I have a number of these, a nebulous envelope around a star-like nucleus.
Usually several each year.   I skipped an earlier hour so missed the chance
for a super-long one.  We both saw the longest at 116 AM, an intense orange
-3m going 50 degrees in 3 seconds with train visible the full length, all
gone after 3 more seconds.
>  
>Mark's guess that tonight would have 5-7/hr I agree with.
>
>Norman
>
>Fort Myers, Florida
>
>