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(meteorobs) Leonids in Southern Nevada
Although it was overcast at sunset, I decided to take a chance. I left Las
Vegas where I am attending Comdex, and joined the Las Vegas Astronomy Society
for Leonid viewing at Nelson's Landing near Boulder city. Boy was I glad I
did!
By 11:00 local the sky had cleared better than 90%. By midnight local we
were seeing Leonid fireballs and numerous taurids. Local peak was between
midnight and 2:00 when we were seeing approx 300 meteors per hour! Sometimes
there were 3 or 4 in the sky at a time! Some fireballs streaked over 130
degrees of arc.
The best streaked from Leo across Sirius and/or Orion, with a large number
across Ursa Major. Several left persistent trails that lasted 4 to 5 minutes.
Most were green, with some white and blue.
Personally, I observed more meteors last night than I have observed in the
rest of my 45 years combined! Many of the LVAS members told me the same was
true for them. I also saw the 50 or 60 largest meteors of my life! The LVAS
members counted and timed between 1:00 and 1:10. The count was 36 meteors,
which works out to 216/hour. This was by no means the peak time!
Over 100 people were observing at this location, and all were very
stimulated - oohing and ahhing with each fireball.
After Leo rose well above the horizon, the trails grew shorter but were
still spectacular.
This was the second-greatest astronomy event of my life (the greatest being
the total eclipse of 1991.)
Bill Crider
billcrider@usadot net
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