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(meteorobs) Fwd: "CCNet, 22 November 1999"
Again, not all appropriate, but I'm too overworked to edit!
Lew Gramer
------- Forwarded Message
From: Benny J Peiser <b.j.peiser@livjm.acdot uk>
To: cambridge-conference@livjm.acdot uk
Subject: CCNet, 22 November 1999
Date: Mon, 22 Nov 1999 11:01:41 -0500 (EST)
CCNet, 22 November 1999
-----------------------
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"One night I was roused from my sleep by a rap at the door=20
and I heard the Deacon's voice exclaiming 'Arise, Abraham,=20
the day of judgment has come!' I sprang from my bed and=20
rushed to the window and saw the stars falling in great=20
showers! But looking back of them in the heavens I saw all=20
the grand old constellations with which I was so well=20
acquainted, fixed and true in their places. Gentlemen, the=20
world did not come to an end then, nor will the Union now."=20
-- Abraham Lincoln's recollection of the 1833 Leonid Meteor Storm
(1) ASTRONOMERS REPORT ON STRANGE DOUBLE ASTEROID
Space.com, 18 November 1999
(2) AIR FORCE SPACE COMMAND SOUND THE ALL-CLEAR
Andrew Yee <ayee@nova.astro.utorontodot ca>
(3) POSSIBLE LUNAR IMPACT: MORE RECORDS SOUGHT
David Dunham <dunham@erols.com>
(4) CALL FOR LEONID OBSERVATIONS & UPDATED SHOWER CIRCULAR
Marc Gyssens <gyssens@charlie.luc.acdot be>=20
(5) FINAL AMS LEONIDS REPORT
Jim Richardson <richardson@digitalexp.com> wrote:
(6) NASA METEOR BALLOON UPDATE
NASA Science News <expressnews@sslab.msfc.nasadot gov>=20
(7) LEONIDS JILTS EAGER OBSERVERS
Andrew Yee <ayee@nova.astro.utorontodot ca>
(8) ABRAHAM LINCOLN & THE 1833 LEONID METEOR STORM=20
Houston Chronicle, 19 November 1999
(9) FOR NOAH'S FLOOD, A NEW WAVE OF EVIDENCE
The Washington Post, 18 November 1999
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(1) ASTRONOMERS REPORT ON STRANGE DOUBLE ASTEROID
>From Space.com, 18 November 1999
http://www.space.com/science/astronomy/double_asteroid_991118.html
By Robin Lloyd
space.com
=20
A team of European astronomers claims to have taken an unusual direct=20
photograph of an object that may be a member of a class of strange=20
space objects -- asteroid pairs that closely orbit one another.
=20
Asteroid (216) Kleopatra, first discovered in 1880, previously was=20
thought to be a solo dumbbell-shaped object, but it now appears in=20
infrared images taken using the European Southern Observatory's=20
3.6-meter telescope at La Silla Observatory in Chile to be a pair of=20
bright objects closely circling one another, separated by a thin space=20
of unknown size.
=20
Franck Marchis, Daniel Hestroffer and their colleagues used adapted=20
optics on the telescope on Oct. 25 to look directly at Kleopatra, a=20
Main Belt body with an elongated orbit that passes between Mars and=20
Jupiter. They say the session showed that Kleopatra is comprised of two =
similarly sized lobes, neither of which is small enough to be called a=20
moon.
If the finding, reported in a recent issue of the International=20
Astronomical Union's Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams, is=20
confirmed, the Kleopatra pair might not be the first of its kind --=20
depending upon the separation between the "twins."=20
In 1989, Jet Propulsion Laboratory asteroid tracker Eleanor Helin=20
discovered a similar binary system called 4769 Castalia, in which
the two pieces are stuck together by gravity as if kissing. That=20
asteroid or pair is much smaller in diameter (about a mile across) and
has been studied extensively with radar.
Still, the Kleopatra pair could be part of a small class of binary=20
bodies first thought to be singular and later discovered to be more=20
complex. Other cases include asteroids with moons -- asteroid 243 Ida=20
and its moon Dactyl, and asteroid 45 Eugenia, whose moon was reported=20
in October to be photographed by an Earth-based telescope for the first =
time.
"We're quite confident that we have two lobes," said Hestroffer, an=20
astronomer at the Paris Observatory's Institute for Celestial=20
Mechanics. "As for separation, we're quite confident that it's 0.125=20
arcseconds." That would put the center-to-center distance
between the two objects at 62 miles (100 kilometers).
The Kleopatra pair, currently near the point in its orbit that comes=20
closest to the sun, includes two low-density objects with a 5.4-hour=20
rotation period.
The astronomers are uncertain of the diameter of the two objects and=20
are waiting for more data, including observations made with radar,
Hestroffer said.=20
The existence of asteroid binaries raises questions about the evolution =
of the solar system relics. Some are thought to have been knocked from=20
other larger bodies, others might be congealed piles of space rubble=20
left over from the initial formation of the solar system 4.6 billion=20
years ago.
"Now there is also a lot of work to see how long can such a system be=20
stable, how can it be formed," Hestroffer said. The Kleopatra pair is=20
too dense to be a rubble pile, he said.
Brian Marsden, who puts out the Central Bureau for Astronomical=20
Telegrams and is director of the Minor Planet Center in Cambridge,=20
Mass., said the European group's report was credible enough to publish=20
in the circular but ideally should be confirmed. He questioned the idea =
that the objects are separated by any space at all, in which case they=20
might be classified as a "contact binary" like Castalia rather than a=20
"near-contact binary," as Hestroffer suggested.
Other astronomers have reported Kleopatra as a double object in the=20
past, but those findings never were confirmed and relied on a different =
observational technique, Marsden said.
For instance, the Hubble Space Telescope photographed Kleopatra but=20
failed to "confirm or rule out the binary nature" of the object,=20
Hestroffer said.
The whole area of binary asteroids is "very touchy," Marsden said,=20
because some of the earliest reports failed to pan out in the long run.
When Galileo directly imaged Dactyl orbiting Ida six years ago, the=20
concept of asteroid binaries gained some credibility, he said.
"There seemed to be no doubt about it from Galileo," he said. Still=20
Marsden wasn't sure that the concept was "100 percent proven," he said. =
"Maybe a good 80 percent."
Copyright 1999, Space.com
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(2) AIR FORCE SPACE COMMAND SOUND THE ALL-CLEAR
>From Andrew Yee <ayee@nova.astro.utorontodot ca>
Air Force Space Command News Service
50th Space Wing Public Affairs=20
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 19, 1999
Leonids meteor storm
SCHRIEVER AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. -- Initial indications show that the=20
Leonids storm did not adversely affect Air Force Space Command=20
satellite constellations. AFSPC officials are continuing to assess each
satellite for any residual damage.
As a matter of policy AFSPC does not comment on the status of=20
individual satellites. Command officials said it may be several weeks
before an anomaly caused by a Leonids impact may emerge.
Just as the Global Positioning System satellites still provide=20
accurate, instantaneous and reliable information to civilian users=20
throughout the world, AFSPC military satellites continue to provide=20
unequalled support to the men and women in America's uniform.
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(3) POSSIBLE LUNAR IMPACT: MORE RECORDS SOUGHT
>From David Dunham <dunham@erols.com>
Subject: Lunar impact seen & videorecorded; more records sought
Brian Cudnik, Houston, Texas, saw a brief flash near the center of the=20
Moon's dark side near the edge at about 4h 46m 20s U.T. November 18.=20
Observing with a 36cm telescope, he estimated that the flash, taking a=20
fraction of a second, was at least as bright as nearby 4th-mag. psi1=20
Aqr. He is sure of the event, but asked me for confirmation, to see if=20
a satellite glint or other close-to-Earth phenomenon might have been=20
involved. The observation was confirmed in a video recording that I=20
made using a 13cm telescope at George Varros' home in Mount Airy,=20
Maryland, with relatively dark skies about 35 miles northwest of=20
Washington, DC. The event occurred at a cusp angle of around 75 - 80N=20
(10 to 15 deg. north of the lunar equator) 1.7' from the Moon's edge.=20
The flash, timed from the videotape at 4h 46m 15s, is visible in only=20
two video frames, the first at about 3rd magnitude and the second at=20
about 8th magnitude.=20
The images can be viewed at http://iota.jhuapldot edu. The object was =20
probably a Leonid since the peak of this year's display was at 2h UT as =
seen from the Earth. The trailing Moon would arrive at the same solar=20
longitude about 3h later, near the time of the observed impact. I also=20
recorded 5 lunar occultations of 8th-magnitude stars an hour before the =
impact, and also have an image of psi1 Aqr on the tape. Analysis of=20
those images and of the impact images will permit a reasonably good=20
determination of the brightness and location of the impact flash.=20
Anyone else who was recording the dark side of the Moon at the above=20
time should check their data and report their results to me, preferably =
at both dunham@erols.com and david.dunham@jhuapldot edu. I am interested=20
in knowing about ALL observations of the lunar dark side made between=20
4:00 and 6:00 UT November 18th when the Moon should have been struck by =
the brunt of the Leonid storm. There are other fainter flashes in my=20
video record, but some of them are spurious video artifacts. I looked=20
at one, and it did not have the strong stellar appearance of the=20
4:46:15 flash. But before checking very much for other events, I want=20
to know if there are any other observations that might confirm them. =20
Unfortunately, I'm affraid that most observers in the central and=20
western USA, where the Moon was best placed at the time, bypassed the=20
evening lunar observations in favor of seeing the Leonid meteors during =
the early morning hours; I have heard of only a few lunar attempts. At =
my location, fortunately conditions were excellant with the Moon 15=20
deg. above the horizon at 4:46 UT. I was able to continue the=20
observations until 5:30 UT.
I believe this is the first confirmed lunar impact observation. A=20
probable lunar meteor impact was photographed on 1953 November 15=20
by Dr. Leon Stuart; see=20
http://www.spiritdot net.au/~minnah/LunarFlare.html.
=20
David Dunham, IOTA, 1999 Nov 21
Joan and David Dunham
7006 Megan Lane
Greenbelt, MD 20770
(301) 474-4722
dunham@erols.com
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(4) CALL FOR LEONID OBSERVATIONS & UPDATED SHOWER CIRCULAR
>From Marc Gyssens <gyssens@charlie.luc.acdot be>=20
We found it necessary to produce one more update of the IMO Leonid=20
Shower Circular. Reading it gives you a taste of what a proper global=20
data analysis may yield in terms of confirming features of existing
models and revealing new features which will allow meteor astronomers
to refine these models for the upcoming storm years!
Making such a global analysis will be the next endeavor of the IMO, as
the rough techniques used for rapid information dissemination have now
been stretched to their limits. A preliminary such analysis is planned
to go in the December issue of WGN and should therefore be completed
in less than 2 (!) weeks!
Therefore it is important the IMO Visual Commission receives the full
reports of observers as soon as possible! Send your observations to
Rainer Arlt at visual@imodot net or in any other way you are accustomed
to. When preparing your reports, mind the following two issues:
1) Report in narrow time intervals! It is in particular recommended -
to the extent possible - to report 1-minute intervals (or shorter!)
for the full hour between 1h30m and 2h30m UT. There are reasons to
suspect minor peaks in this interval besides the two reported on in
the Circular. These minor peaks will be smoothed out if you report
in wider intervals - with 5-minute intervals, they disappear! Only
if you report in narrower intervals will we be able to see which of
these minor peaks are real and which are merely statistical
fluctuations. Also for the remainder of the activity, report in
narrow intervals, the length of which must be chosen depending on
the number of meteors seen! Ideally, none of these interval should
contain more than 10 meteors!
2) It goes without saying that magnitude distributions - which were
not required in the "express reports" - must be included! Without
these magnitude distributions, it is not possible to compute the
population index - a measure for the ratio between fainter and
brighter meteors - and its variation throughout the Leonid
activity. This information is vital to compute a correct ZHR
profile!=20
3) Mention the center of your field of view! Also notice that the
cloud/obstruction correction factor refers to the field of view
ONLY! Clouds outside the field of view must NOT be accounted for!
Many of the above recommendations can also be found in Rainer Arlt's
article "Hints for Visual 1999 Leonid Observations" which was sent
out via the IMO News and MeteorObs mailing lists and which is printed
in the October issue of WGN.
We already thank those observers who have not awaited this message to
send in their complete data; the others we thank in advance for their
prompt cooperation!
Kind regards,
Rainer Arlt
Marc Gyssens
UPDATED SHOWER CIRCULAR
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We added some data at the beginning and the end of last circular's
activity profile. It is interesting to see that the 1h53m UT secondary
peak may correspond to the 1-revolution old dust trail (although Asher
and McNaught did not expect activity from this trail, they quote
exactly this time as nodal crossing time for the 1-revolution old
trail). Also, there is evidence for enhanced activity on November 18
between 15h and 20h UT (in the order of magnitude of 100+), which in
turn corresponds to a prediction by Emel'yanenko based on an older
dust trail. These two features only give a taste of what is still to
come once a global analysis is underway!
-------------------------------------
I M O S h o w e r C i r c u l a r
-------------------------------------
LEONID Activity 1999
=
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*** 2nd UPDATE ***
=
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ZHRs pertaining to the pre- and post-peak activity of the Leonids have
been added. Additional comparisons with other observational reports
have been made. Some cautious interpretations are suggested.
Visual observations of the 1999 Leonids revealed a distinctive peak
with a ZHR above 5000 on November 18, 2h04m +/-5m UT (solar longitude
235.286 +/- 0.004, eq. 2000.0).
It seems that the peak time of 2h08m UT predicted by Asher/McNaught is
confirmed within a margin of at most a few minutes, although the
observed activity is significantly higher. It is reasonable to
conclude that the peak activity has been caused by the 3-revolutions
old dust trail of 55P/Tempel-Tuttle.
All observers who were able to view the peak under good sky conditions
reported an abundance of faint meteors and a relative absence of
fireballs. If this impression is real, taking it into account may
result in ZHR values somewhat higher than those quoted below.
Ten minutes before the abovementioned peak time, at 1h53m +/- 5m UT
(solar longitude 235.278 +/- 0.004, eq. 2000.0), the ZHR profile shows
a secondary peak with of ZHR of about 3500. This secondary peak does
not only occur in the combined ZHR profile below, but also in the ZHR
profile of several individual observers, and is therefore probably
real.
Asher and McNaught mentioned 1h53m UT as the nodal crossing time for
the 1-revolution old trail, but did not expect activity from it.
ZHR levels were above 1000 from roughly 1h20m UT to 2h45m UT (solar
longitude 235.26-235.31, eq. 2000).
Apart from the secondary peak mentioned above, the ZHR profile around
the peak time looks remarkably smooth, even at the level of 5-minute
intervals. However, observers in the French Provence report that, at
the level of 1-minute intervals, additional minor peaks are visible
between 1h30m UT and 2h30m UT. Whether these are significant will be
one of the issues in a forthcoming detailed first global analysis.
Some observers noticed a drop in the population index (i.e., a larger
fraction of brighter meteors) after the peak.
Reports from Mohammad Odeh (Jordanian Astronomical Society),=20
Casper ter Kuile (Dutch Meteor Society, observing near=20
Valencia, Spain), Mark Kidger (Canary Islands), and Ilan Manulis and
Alex Mikishev (Israel) are very consistent with the picture sketched
above.=20
In addition, radio data from K. Maegawa (Toyokawa Meteor Observatory,=20
Aichi, Japan) reported by Kazuhiro Suzuki and the backscatter
radar data from Ondrejov Observatory (Czech Republic) reported by
Petr Pridal and Rosta Stork yield a peak time between 2h00m UT
and 2h10m UT.
When the Americans took over from the Europeans on November 18 UT,
activity stayed stable with a ZHR of 56 +/- 2 between 0500 UT and=20
1400 UT (solar longitude 235.409-235.787, eq. 2000.0). The ZHR during
the interval between 1400 UT and 1500 UT, however, doubles in the=20
observations of Hawaiian-based Jim Bedient. Kun Zhou reports ZHRs
above 100 for the interval between 1625 UT and 1936 UT (solar
longitude 235.889-236.023, eq. 2000.0).=20
Masaaki Takanashi of the Nippon Meteor Society reports ZHRs above 100
between 1500 UT and 2000 UT (solar longitude 235.829-236..040); in the=20
first half of this period even up to around 300. Rates drop sharply
towards the end of the Japanese observing window.=20
ZHRs during the West-European observing window of November 18/19 were
consistently around 25. This is consistent with very low activity
registered by the Ondrejov radar that night, as reported by Pridal and
Stork.
Although the available data are not yet conclusive, it seems that
there are consistent indications for enhanced activity with ZHRs
around or above 100 between November 18, 1500 UT and 2000 UT (solar
longitude 235.829-236.040, eq. 2000.0).
It is interesting to note that Emel'yanenko predicted a small secondary
peak on November 18.7 UT due to an older duster trail.=20
Emel'yanenko also expects significant Leonid activity on November
19.7-19.8 UT (solar longitude 236.960, eq. 2000.0). Whether or not
this activity materializes, and whether any other peaks in the
observed activity profile exist, can only be revealed by a detailed
global analysis of data, which is forthcoming.
The following observers (with their observing sites, not their
nationality or country of residence) have contributed data immediately
after the event, from which the ZHR profile given below=20
has been derived:
Rainer Arlt (Spain), Jim Bedient (Hawaii), Felix Betonvil (Canary
Islands), C.L. Chan (China), Mark Davis (USA), Asdai Diaz (Cuba),
Yuwei Fan (China), Fei Gao (China), Lew Gramer (USA), Rafael Haag
(Brazil), Wayne T. Hally (USA), Dave Hostetter (USA), Andre Knoefel
(Spain), Detlef Koschny (Spain), Wen Kou (China), Alastair McBeath
(UK), Alfredo Pereira (Portugal), Josep Ma. Trigo-Rodriguez (Spain),
Helena Valero-Rodriguez (Spain), James Smith (Canada), Renke Song
(China), Wanfang Song (China), Jan Verbert (France), Catarina Vitorino
(Portugal), Jean-Marc Wislez (France), Mariusz Wisniewski (Poland),
Dan Xia (China), Kim S. Youmans (USA), Dongyan Zha (China), Jinghui
Zhang (China), Yan Zhang (China), Kun Zhou (China), Jin Zhu (China).
(For groups of observers, only the name of the contributing
observers have been mentioned.)
Date Period (UT) Time (UT) Sol. Long. ZHR +/-
- -----------------------------------------------------------
Nov 17 0057-0545 0339 234.344 14 2
Nov 17 0600-1000 0800 234.527 16 2
Nov 17 1600-2010 1805 234.951 30 5
Nov 17 1900-2200 2030 235.052 53 14
Nov 17 2300-2400 2330 235.178 82 6
Nov 18 0000-0050 0026 235.217 210 60
Nov 18 0030-0100 0048 235.233 370 80
Nov 18 0050-0130 0110 235.248 560 90
Nov 18 0115-0145 0132 235.263 1160 180
Nov 18 0139-0155 0148 235.275 2360 600
Nov 18 0145-0200 0153 235.278 3430 750
Nov 18 0154-0205 0158 235.282 2820 550
Nov 18 0159-0209 0204 235.286 5400 880
Nov 18 0200-0215 0209 235.289 3540 580
Nov 18 0212-0233 0222 235.298 2110 580
Nov 18 0223-0247 0238 235.310 1140 280
Nov 18 0244-0320 0257 235.323 690 150
Nov 18 0315-0400 0340 235.353 240 60
Nov 18 0347-0505 0423 235.383 153 59
Nov 18 0500-0630 0537 235.435 57 11
Nov 18 0609-0800 0656 235.490 62 11
Nov 18 0711-0900 0756 235.532 51 9
Nov 18 0812-0925 0847 235.568 57 4
Nov 18 0901-1100 0958 235.618 59 9
Nov 18 1100-1400 1254 235.741 56 4
Nov 18 1400-1500 1430 235.808 90 12
Nov 18 1625-1936 1825 235.973 106 13
Nov 19 0018-0445 0306 236.338 23 2
- ---
Marc Gyssens, 1999 November 20, 18h UT
wgn@imodot net
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(5) FINAL AMS LEONIDS REPORT
>From Jim Richardson <richardson@digitalexp.com>=20
Hello All,
The final Internet version of my narrative report on the 1999 Leonids=20
is now up at:
http://www.amsmeteors.org/leo99update.html
While revisions and updates to this report will be continued for =20
inclusion in the next issue of Meteor Trails, this is my last=20
planned revision for the AMS Website (I have school work to catch=20
up on!). Below is an excerpt from the report conclusion that I=20
wish to share:
We would like to heartily thank the dozens of observers worldwide=20
who either sent in their observing reports directly to the AMS or=20
NAMN, or who made their observations available through one of the=20
many astronomy Internet mailing lists. The speed with which all of=20
the various meteor organizations were able to get out current=20
information on the Leonids this year was unprecedented in the=20
history of this field. While promoting and conducting good=20
scientific data collection and data analysis in the area of meteor=20
astronomy remains the primary mission of the AMS, it has been a=20
very enjoyable experience to collect and organize the anecdotal=20
accounts contained on this page. Along with their great scientific=20
value, rare meteor shower outbursts have a historical value as=20
well, and the personal accounts of what happened with real people=20
on the night of such an outburst will be long remembered, along=20
with the advances made in meteor science.
- --------
I would also like to especially thank Mark Gyssens and the IMO team=20
members that stayed home and performed an outstanding job while=20
allowing others to chase after the shower. Your news releases and=20
extremely fast analysis were most appreciated.
Best regards,
Jim
James Richardson
Department of Physics
Florida State University (FSU)
Operations Manager=20
American Meteor Society (AMS)
http://www.amsmeteors.org
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(6) NASA METEOR BALLOON UPDATE
>From NASA Science News <expressnews@sslab.msfc.nasadot gov>=20
NASA Space Science News for November 21, 1999
=20
Meteor Balloon Update: Replays from the 1999 NASA meteor balloon=20
flight are now available at LeonidsLive.com. The peak of the Leonid=20
meteor storm did not take place over the eastern US where the balloon=20
was launched. Nevertheless, some interesting sights and sounds were=20
recorded. Also featured on the LeonidsLive.com website is a spectacular =
picture of a Leonid fireball exploding over the Italian Alps on=20
November 18, 1999.
=20
http://www.LeonidsLive.com
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(7) LEONIDS JILTS EAGER OBSERVERS
>From Andrew Yee <ayee@nova.astro.utorontodot ca>
[http://www.abqjournal.com/scitech/1scitech11-19-99.htm]
Friday, November 19, 1999=20
Leonid Jilts Eager Observers=20
By John Fleck, Albuquerque Journal Staff Writer
STARFIRE OPTICAL RANGE -- Nature, scientists have learned over the=20
centuries, can be a stingy master.
It demands skill and patience, then doles out its rewards in large=20
measure based on luck.
That was Air Force astronomer Jack Drummond's dilemma as he waited on a =
rooftop in the darkness Thursday morning for the meteor shower that=20
never came..
With all the technological horsepower of one of the most advanced=20
astronomical observatories in the world, with a suite of specialized=20
instruments assembled from around the country for this occasion,=20
Drummond waited.
Near the southern edge of Kirtland Air Force Base, the Starfire Optical =
Range is one of the Air Force's premier observatories. It is dedicated=20
primarily to refining the technologies needed to take pictures of=20
orbiting satellites, but in the process it has developed some of the=20
most advanced systems for taking sharp, clear images of astronomical=20
objects in the night sky.
This week, scientists gathered there to train their tools in the Leonid =
meteor shower.=20
Inside the warmth of the observatory's two control rooms, teams of=20
technicians and scientists scanned their computer monitors and waited=20
for what was, for all practical purposes, a once-in-a-lifetime shot.
The Leonid meteor shower is an annual affair, but once every 32 or 33=20
years it puts on a dramatic show, as Earth slices through a fresh trail =
of dust laid down by the comet Tempel-Tuttle.
As the rain of little dust grains slash through the very upper layers=20
of Earth's atmosphere, they give scientists a unique opportunity to=20
understand both the matter coming in from space and the layer of air=20
it's hitting.
"It's a pretty specialized event," said University of Arizona scientist =
Lyle Broadfoot, who bolted his instruments to a Starfire telescope for=20
this year's shower.
But the storm's peak came at the wrong time for Drummond and his=20
colleagues. In Europe, around 7 p.m. New Mexico time, observers counted =
some 2,000 meteors an hour. Drummond and his colleagues saw just a=20
handful, spending the evening milling about in frustration as their=20
instruments sat idle and a bank of clouds slowly enclosed the sky from=20
the west.
Drummond, who said he's always wanted to see a true meteor storm, was=20
philosophical. The next big Leonid extravaganza isn't expected for=20
another 33 years.
"I'll be 87," he said as he sat on the cold in the roof, "so I'll have=20
a chance. Medicine is making us live longer."=20
Copyright =A9 1999 Albuquerque Journal
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(8) ABRAHAM LINCOLN & THE 1833 LEONID METEOR STORM=20
=20
>From Houston Chronicle, 19 November 1999
http://www.chron.com/content/interactive/space/astronomy/news/1999/solar=
sys/991121.html
Brilliant Leonid storm likely fodder for later Lincoln speech
By JIM VERTUNO
Associated Press
=20
SAN MARCOS -- The Great Emancipator was no Chicken Little.
=20
Southwest Texas State University astronomer Don Olson believes he has=20
proof that Abraham Lincoln saw the brilliant Leonid meteor storm=20
of 1833 when Lincoln was a young man living in New Salem, Ill.
=20
The future 16th president likely was one of the few people around who=20
didn't think the sky was falling, Olson said.
Olson uses astronomical calculations and historical research to=20
determine what the skies looked like during key moments in history=20
and what famous people of the past saw when they gazed heavenward.=20
The annual Leonid meteor shower, which is particularly intense=20
every 33 years or so, reached its peak brightness last week.=20
The meteor shower is made up of a hail of dusty, icy rubble thrown=20
off by the Tempel-Tuttle comet as it races around the sun. When=20
the Earth's orbit carries it into the path of these cosmic=20
pellets, they burn up in the atmosphere in a display of
shooting stars.=20
The 1833 meteor shower was one of the most brilliant light shows=20
ever witnessed from Earth, Olson said. Many people probably=20
thought it was the end of the world.=20
Olson traced Lincoln to the 1833 storm after reading a passage by=20
Walt Whitman, which recounted a story Lincoln told during the=20
Civil War.=20
Lincoln told the story to a group of bankers who worried about the=20
stability of the Union. According to Olson, Lincoln, then 24, was=20
boarding with a Presbyterian deacon in New Salem at the time of=20
the meteor shower.=20
"One night I was roused from my sleep by a rap at the door and I=20
heard the Deacon's voice exclaiming `Arise, Abraham, the day of=20
judgment has come!' I sprang from my bed and rushed to the window=20
and saw the stars falling in great showers!" Lincoln recalled.=20
"But looking back of them in the heavens I saw all the grand old=20
constellations with which I was so well acquainted, fixed and true=20
in their places. Gentlemen, the world did not come to an end then,=20
nor will the Union now."=20
That's vintage Lincoln, said Gene Griessman, who has written and=20
starred in a one-man play about the former president, An Evening=20
with Abraham Lincoln.=20
"Lincoln was fascinated by astronomy and fascinated by science,"=20
Griessman said. "Lincoln was a cool, unflappable person who wanted=20
to find out why things really happened," he said. "He was probably
the only person in New Salem who didn't think God's Judgment Day=20
had arrived."=20
Copyright 1999, AP
=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D=3D
(9) FOR NOAH'S FLOOD, A NEW WAVE OF EVIDENCE
>From The Washington Post, 18 November 1999
http://search.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/1999-11/18/278l-111899-id=
x.html
By Guy Gugliotta
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, November 18, 1999; Page A01=20
Scientists have discovered an ancient coastline 550 feet below the=20
surface of the Black Sea, providing dramatic new evidence of a sudden,
catastrophic flood around 7,500 years ago--the possible source of the =
Old
Testament story of Noah.
A team of deep-sea explorers this summer captured the first sonar=20
images of a gentle berm and a sandbar submerged undisturbed for=20
thousands of years on the sea floor. Now, using radiocarbon dating=20
techniques, analysts have shown that the remains of freshwater mollusks =
subsequently dredged from the ancient beach date back 7,500 years and=20
saltwater species begin showing up 6,900 years ago.
Explorer Robert D. Ballard, who led the team that collected the shells, =
said the findings indicate a flood occurred sometime during the=20
600-year gap. "What we wanted to do is prove to ourselves that it was=20
the biblical flood," Ballard said in an interview this week.
The findings offer independent verification of a theory advanced by=20
Columbia University geologists William Ryan and Walter Pitman that the=20
Black Sea was created when melting glaciers raised the sea level until=20
the sea breached a natural dam at what is now the Bosporus, the strait=20
that separates the Mediterranean Sea from the Black Sea.
An apocalyptic deluge followed, inundating the freshwater lake below=20
the dam, submerging thousands of square miles of dry land, flipping the
ecosystem from fresh water to salt practically overnight, and probably
killing thousands of people and billions of land and sea creatures,
according to Ryan and Pitman.
The two scientists described the catastrophe in their book "Noah's=20
Flood," based on 30 years of research that began with coring samples=20
showing the same abrupt transition from lake to sea that Ballard=20
confirmed with his dredge. No one had ever actually seen the old=20
shoreline, however, until Ballard's team captured sonar images of it in =
August.
Ryan and Pitman also suggested that the flood may have triggered=20
massive migrations to destinations as diverse as Egypt, western Europe=20
and central Asia, an idea that has provoked some academic controversy.=20
Scholars also question whether any natural disaster could be=20
conclusively identified as the inspiration for the story of Noah's=20
flood.
"All modern critical Bible scholars regard the tale of Noah as=20
legendary," said Hershel Shanks, editor of the Biblical Archaeology=20
Review. "There are other flood stories, but if you want to say the=20
Black Sea flood is Noah's flood, who's to say no?"
Shanks pointed out that biblical scholars date the writing of the Book=20
of Genesis, from which the story of Noah is taken, at sometime between
2,900 and 2,400 years ago, and a similar event is described in the
Mesopotamian Gilgamesh legend, written about 3,600 years ago.
But while Ryan and Pitman do not prove that the Black Sea flood=20
directly inspired Gilgamesh or Noah, their theory argues persuasively=20
that the event was probably horrific enough for scribes and minstrels=20
to remember it for thousands of years.
And regardless of the historical context, the science of the Black Sea=20
flood stands undisputed. Ryan and Pitman dated the event at 7,600 years =
ago, and they fixed the likely depth of the ancient coastline almost=20
exactly where Ballard found it.
"It feels good," Pitman said of Ballard's findings, analyzed by the=20
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Massachusetts. Pitman noted=20
that the new research took place on the Black Sea's southern shore near =
the Turkish port of Synope--far from the northern waters where he and
Ryan had worked.
The flood, the underwater coastline and the likelihood that ancient=20
settlements lie on the submerged plain have added a new dimension to an
already ambitious project.
The region's main archaeological attraction has always been the Black=20
Sea itself, composed mostly of dense Mediterranean salt water that
immediately plunged to the bottom of the freshwater lake when the=20
Bosporus gave way 7,500 years ago.
Ever since, the less dense water on top has acted as a 500-foot-deep=20
lid on a 7,000-foot-deep oxygen-free abyss--a watery wilderness where
scientists suspect there may be 7,500 years of shipwrecks preserved in
almost pristine condition.
The tantalizing prospect of exploring this environment piqued Ballard's =
interest several years ago. Beginning with the Titanic in 1985, Ballard =
has found several historic wrecks in deep water using manned=20
submersibles and robotic vehicles.
The Black Sea project, funded by the National Geographic Society and=20
the University of Pennsylvania, began in 1995, when teams of=20
archaeologists on land and in shallow water began mapping Synope and =
its
environs.
Synope is about 200 miles directly south across the Black Sea's abyssal =
waters from the Crimea--a natural terminus for an ancient trade route.
Ballard said he intends to use a deep-sea robot next summer to look for =
a
sea lane.
"The first thing you find is trash; you didn't have Adopt-a-Highway=20
then," he said. And where there is trash, there are sure to be wrecks.=20
"My biggest problem is going to be trees," he added. If wooden ships=20
can survive in the Black Sea's depths, then so can trees. The bottom=20
could look like a forest.
These difficulties, Ballard said, are different from those inherent in=20
the search for flood-plain settlements. Many of these were probably
buried--and lost forever--when a thick layer of sediment swept into the =
old lake with the flood waters. And Ballard suspects many others have=20
been destroyed by the trawlers that have been scouring the sea bottom=20
for thousands of years.
Still, he said, there are plenty of "relic surfaces" near Synope, where =
the water simply rose quickly to submerge intact whatever lay below.=20
Ballard's sonar sweeps this summer found a gentle coastline "frozen in=20
time," he said.
"In a perfect world you'll see a fence," Ballard said, or maybe a=20
stockade or even a house. And there will likely be plenty of artifacts, =
because "when the flood came, people just had to run."=20
=A9 Copyright 1999 The Washington Post Company
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