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Re: (meteorobs) Conflicting info on Leonids as viewed from Australia.
Brigitte Humphries wrote:
> I will be viewing this year's Leonids from Australia.
> Unfortunately I have been given conflicting information on this year's
> Leonids.
Two major peaks are predicted for 2000: One visible from Europe and
Africa, one from America. The observing window lies between radiant
rise (somewhere round midnight; for your southern location perhaps
even later) and dawn. The peaks are probably too short-lived that
the peaks of the European and American observing windows stretch
until you will be in the window.
I would not expect more than 20, at best perhaps 30 meteors per
hour from your location. The closest time to any of the peaks are
your local morning hours of the night Nov 17/18. The moon is near
its last quarter.
Much more interesting for Australia is the 2001 peak with
ideal locations in the western Pacific. Good locations will
also be found in northern Australia, but the climate may be
unlucky there in November. You can expect quite probably
10-50 meteors a minute. If predictred rates will come true,
even 100 meteors per minute are possible.
Despite the unfavourable conditions for Australia this year,
I would like to encourage you to carry out a meteor observation
in the night Nov 17/18. For the understanding of the Leonid
meteor shower, it is essential to obtain a gap-less profile
of the activity. A basic observation contains the times,
numbers of Leonids and non-Leonids, and a measure of the
sky quality in terms of a stellar limiting magnitude. More
detailed information can be found at http://www.imodot net. We
will be glad if you will contribute to the global activity
picture of the Leonids.
Good luck!
Rainer
--
Rainer Arlt -- Astrophysikalisches Institut Potsdam -- www.aipdot de
Visual Commission - International Meteor Organization -- www.imodot net
rarlt@aipdot de -- phone: +49-331-7499-533 -- fax: +49-331-7499-526
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