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(meteorobs) Leonids from Nth California
Greetings,
Sorry for the delayed posting.
The weather in northern California was decidedly iffy for the entire
expected period of the Leonid shower. I monitored internet weather
services all day on Tuesday, with lowering expectations. Sure enough
Tues evening brought scattered clouds, and showers. As the evening
progressed it seemd to clear a little, to the point where I could see 6
of the seven brighter Pleidies, so I went out for a few hours observing.
Observer: Robert Leyland
Location: Novato CA, USA. (38N, 122.5E)
Date: November 16, 1999
View: ENE, 60-90 deg
Period End Teff LM SPO TAU(?) LEO Notes
PST/UTC
2230/0630 2300/0700 0.95 4.5 0 1 0 20-40%
scattered clouds
2300/0700 2330/0730 0.50 1.0 0 0 0 80% cloud/light
rain (grrr)
2330/0730 0000/0800 0.95 5.0 1 2 1 20% cloud, LEO:
30 deg arc mag -1 fireball
0000/0800 0030/0830 0.95 5.5 1 0 0 0% clouds, but
no meteors...
0030/0830 0100/0900 0.95 4.0 0 1 0 heavy clouds
coming in.
Note: the TAU meteors listed above may be better classified as
sporadics, as I am not an experienced observer. However all of the
listed meteors were travelling in the same direction, more or less at
right angles to the "flow" of the Leonids, apparently from Taurus. A
similar pattern was noticed the next night.
Well after this frustration I was really hoping for an improvement on
the following night. The forecasts had called for morning rain, followed
by a clearing trend, to fine overnight and the following day. It
certainly followed that pattern, but the weatherman's idea of "clear"
and an astronomers concept of "clear" are two very different
commodities. I wanted to observe the moon, in the evening, to see if I
could catch any lunar impactors. The storm's peak predicted for 0210
UT, would be at 1810 PST, and allowing about 3 hours for the moon
trailing the earths orbit, I expected to watch the moon between 2000 and
2200 PST. However mother nature was not cooperative, and we had a fine
layer of high altitude mist, that gave the moon a lovely fuzzy glow. At
this point only Jupiter, Saturn and a couple of the brightest stars
could be seen, LM=0? So I was not enthralled by the prospects for later
viewing.
Periodically checking, (i.e. going out every 15-30 mins) the high mist
layer cleared nicely and by 11PM, was effectivey gone. We had some of
the clearest skies we had seen for weeks, I could see all 7 of the
brighter Pleiedes, and some fuzzyness besides. Wonderful, now hopefully
some meteors will show up....
I was joined by couple of our local teenagers, and a friend of mine to
watch the show. The teens stayed until around 1:30AM (nice parents), and
my buddy stuck it out with my until 3AM.
These counts represent my observations only, and do not include meteors
seen by the other observers, but not myself.
Observer: Robert Leyland
Location: Novato CA, USA. (38N, 122.5E)
Date: November 16, 1999
View: ENE, 60-90 deg
Period End Teff LM SPO TAU(?) LEO Notes
PST/UTC
2300/0700 2330/0730 0.95 5.0 0 0 0
2330/0730 0000/0800 0.95 5.5 0 2 1 LEO: mag 0 or
better
0000/0800 0030/0830 0.60 5.5 0 1 0 (tea break)
0030/0830 0100/0900 0.95 5.5 1 0 3 LEO: one was
mag 0+
0100/0900 0130/0930 0.95 5.5 1 2 2
0130/0930 0200/1000 0.95 5.5 1 1 5
0200/1000 0230/1030 0.95 3.0 1 0 2 some cloud
rolled through Leo
View: Facing West
0230/1030 0300/1100 0.95 5.5 2 0 5 including a
great terminal flash
0300/1100 0330/1130 0.95 5.0 2 3 7
Then, even though the levels were increasing, the cold, and exhaustion
were getting to me, and I turned in. Lots of fun, hoping for a better
show in the next couple of years.
Friday night was clouded out severely, perhaps 80-90% cloud cover, along
with heavy rain.
My congratulations to David Asher/Rob McNaught for such an excellent job
predicting the peak. Without a doubt the best predictors thus far.
Thanks guys!
Robert Leyland
--
"'tis pleasure sure in being mad, which none but madmen know"
--Cervantes
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