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(meteorobs) Re: NWM2001Nov16/17 Leonid meteors typical



My experience in SW Florida is identical to Wayne's in New Jersey 2001 Nov
16/17.  It's great to see the agreement.  There are times when two locations
get very different results.  I had early hopes for a lot more by seeing half
a dozen meteors in the first few minutes, but it quickly slowed down.
Observing for 3:25 hours total  (222 - 547 EST,  722 - 1047 UT) I recorded
51 meteors total (7 South Taurids, 5 North Taurids, 1 ambiguous N/S Taurid,
12 Leonids, and 26 sporadics.  Sky LM before 326 EST (826 UT) was 7.2, and
thereafter 7.3.  The three regular hours 226 - 526 EST  (726 - 1026 UT)  had
1,3,5 Leonids; 8,4,10 sporadics; 14,12,17 total.  Just about what I would
expect for the date and conditions.  Brightest Leonid was a  yellow  -3m at
1043 UT with train 1 second.  I hung around for 12 more minutes into dawn
and got a yellow  -2m Leonid with 2-second train, then a casual blue  -2m
Leonid almost on the western horizon.

Taurids were entertaining to see, and they outnumbered the Leonids the first
two hours.  Three Taurids had trains; the best was a yellow  -2m North
Taurid with 0.5-second train.

This night brings to mind 1996, when the pre-max night also had only a
handful of Leonids.  But the next night they burst forth with the brightest
shower of any kind I had ever seen to that point.  We should be getting some
serious action in a few more hours.

Meanwhile from China, Lew is pulling a mini-Bill Gates on us.  Lew has more
than 4 times my sporadic rates -- but Gates would be 10 times higher than mine.

The Atlantic cyclone has weakened as it has receded, so I am hoping there
will be no clouds at all for the coming U.S. Leonid storm peak.  There were
just a few clouds deep SE during dawn.

The local weathermen have the time of max well reported, but one of them has
told the masses to face SE.  Got no idea where he heard that.  People should
quickly find out that meteors can be seen anywhere in the sky.


Norman

Norman W. McLeod III
Staff Advisor
American Meteor Society

Fort Myers, Florida
nmcleod@peganet.com

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