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(meteorobs) Leonids and South Jersey-Purrfect together!



Fred Schaaf & list:

Good show here at the Wesa Tsalagi (Cherokee Cat) Observatory in Mays
Landing , Southern New Jersey on November 16-17/1998 between 0630 and
0757 UTC. Local time 0130 to 0257 EST

Observer Fred Mason  (me) saw 39 mostly Leonids with a few Taurids, most
brighter than +2.  Several with trains. Green, Pink, Orange and
blue/white.  Many low on horizon just above treeline. Missed a bunch
while trying to record.

Observer, Amy Shelton, (wife and mathematician) saw 54 total meteors,
again mostly Leonids. And she missed a few off to the East that were out
of her field of vision that I saw. So there were more than 54 total
during the period.

We were facing to view East to Southwest skies.  LM was 5. Pleiades
stars definable and Orion nebula excellent in binoculars.   No cloud
until about 0745 when we were overrolled from the southwest by broken
then solid cloud bank. Neat to see Sirius winking on and off later as
clouds took over.

We both saw and said "WOW!!!" to a -8 Leonid fireball that traversed the
SE sky from Leo Minor to Taurus leaving a train that persisted for
almost 10 minutes as the smoke was twisted by the upper winds.  The
fireball was brilliant green with an orange head that appeared to burst
terminally.  Almost but not quite as bright as full Moon. Think it was
at 0648UTC but need to check notes to be sure.

It seemed the rate was even better than 30 per hour and the show was
already well in progress at 0130 EST local time when we set up.  In the
excitement, I tripped over a bench in the garden and sprawled facefirst
in the dirt with a bloodied shin and sore wrist...but I rolled over to
face the sky while waiting for the pain to subside so I wouldn't miss
any of the show (8-)>

Will put together a formal report later once I sort out my notes. Sky is
beginning to clear this morning (10am EST) so maybe another good session
tonite.  Fingers crossed.

Last nite kinda reminded me of a very good Perseids event of a few years
ago...a superb show.

Fred Mason & Amy Shelton
Wesa Tsalagi Observatory  (74-42-36 west & 39-26-24 north)
Mays Landing NJ 08330.

capnjeep@worldnet.attdot net
Atlantic Community College (fmason@atlanticdot edu)

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