[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]
(meteorobs) Leonids...ZHR Greater than 400 less than 1000 S. Calif.
I made an effort to watch the leonids tonight, but the skies were at best crappy. Lots of clouds with small holes. Did get to see a fair amount though. Also did have 15 minutes with a fairly large hole between 3h01-3h16 local Southern Calif. Pacific Standard Time. A quick estimate told me that the ZHR's during this time for the Leonids were greater than 400 and less than 1000. My actual raw counts in 2 minute increments were the following:
3:01 to 3:04(my only 4 minute count) were 24 leonids.
3:04 to 3:06 were 12 leonids.
3:06 to 3:08 were 15 leonids.
3:08 to 3:10 were 11 leonids
3:10 to 3:12 were 11 leonids.
3:12 to 3:14 were 10 leonids.
3:14 to 3:16 leonids were 9 leonids.
This is an exactly 15 minute interval that comes to a count of 92. If I multiplied that 4 times for an hour I would get 368 for a count. Knowing that my perception coefficient has been .7 normally, I roughly estimate that the low end ZHR for the leonids would be about 400. It definitely didn't seem to reach 1000.
I watched between 1 am till 5 am. Essentially the same conditions thruout...quite poor except for that one fifteen minute period. However I think I can say that the rates were lower between 1 am and a little before 2 am. There definitely seem to be an upturn in rates thru the clouds by 2 am. There seem to be a slight dwindling in rates after about 3:30 am. Then around 4 am a slight upturn with somewhat brighter meteors mixed in than what I saw up to that point. But I didn't get the impression that they were higher than the 2 to 3:30 am period. Just brighter. Saw at least one -9, -7, -6, -5, -4, -4 and a lot in the neighborhood of -1 after 4 am. Prior to that the brightest seem to be few....only about three in the neighboorhood of -3, -4, -6. The rest seemed to clustered around +1 and 0 mag.
George Zay
116 deg, 33 min.
Rainer, if you read this, I was at my old observatory. I no longer have the coordinates for that spot.
Follow-Ups: