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Re: Re[2]: (meteorobs) Leonids: max ZHR in 1966
Hello Kevin,
Thank you very much for the comment!
Given that you, as eye-witness, have first hand experience, your 'just an
old-timer' story is very valuable for the current discussion! I never
observed a Leonid storm (hope to do so in about 3,5 weeks from China!)
but experienced the alfa Monocerotid outburst in 1995 (ZHR maximal 600),
which did future 'flurries' (I did see 5 in one second near the peak -but
only 2 additional during the rest of the 1 minute count). During the
1997 Leonids a clear flurrie has been filmed from Japan (a sudden burst
of about 150 meteors in 1 second...!), so they do seem to exist in the
Leonid stream.
I do not doubt that rates were very high in 1966, but that is not what is
under discussion. A ZHR in the realm of 20,000-50,000 still is enough to
results in a show as you describe.
I had some private com's with Robert McNaught on this thread, and we both
agree
that Peter Jenniskens 15,000 figure is most likely an underestimate. But
for reasons explained in my first mail, I realy doubt the 150,000 figure
so often quoted. I settle for an 'in the realm of' estimate of 50,000,
give or take a few tens of thousands. That is enough to provide a
spectacle as you describe (with a standard Lm of +6.5 this still would
give maximum rates in the order of 12/second with the radiant at 65 degrees).
-Marco
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