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(meteorobs) Early Leonids from Sicily!
Hello to all,
Just got in from a VERY intriguing hour and a half of pre-dawn obs from
my "old farmhouse" site on the Plain of Catania. First night in almost a week
that's been clear here! The SURPRIZES: FIVE EARLY LEONIDS and two strong
candidates for possible LINEARIDS!! The numbers were as follows:
Nov 9/10, 1999 Location: Plain of Catania, Sicily Facing: North CFOV:
omicron Ursae Majoris
0300 - 0400 UT z.s. 6.2 10% clouds/haze
3 Leonids 2 South Taurids 1 North Taurid 2 possible LINEARIDS 13
sporadics 21 total
0400 - 0430 UT z.s. 6.3 20% clouds/twilight
2 Leonids 1 South Taurid 3 sporadic 6 total
The Leonids: The first was a +3 in Ursa Major tracking north. Number two was a
beauty: a golden +2 with a classic, tell-tale luminous Leonid train! It
appeared within the Sickle going NNW and was short, only two degrees long, the
train hung for almost a second. Number three was a short +4 again going north
in the Big dipper. The two in twilight time were +2 and +1, no trains. The +1
was a deep golden yellow going SW through Orion. Not a bad start to LEONID
week - 1999!!
The LINEARIDS: The first candidate was a swift, yellow +3 that tracked SW
through the front leg of Ursa Major. Tracking the path backward, it passed
about 1 1/2 degrees north of Phecda. Path length: 4 degrees. The second was a
bright zero mag. in Taurus going due west. It appeared a long way from the
proposed radiant and was about 15 degrees in path length. The speed again was
swift. Both of these meteors were dead-ringers for Perseids. Seeing only one I
would have said chance sporadic lineup, but two? They sure convinced me as to
being good LINEARID candidates!!
Anyway, wild horses couldn't keep me from observing tomorrow morning if it is
clear!! Good luck to everyone... Paul Jones
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