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(meteorobs) Leonids, 18 Nov, near Pecos, Texas



Leonids, 2001 November 17/18 (i.e., Sunday November 18 UTC and CST)

Due to the way the weather prospects for looked on Saturday morning, 
I backed out of the planned trip to Arizona and instead ended up 
driving about 550-600 kilometers to west Texas.  I'm really glad 
that the sky turned out better than I had feared for everyone who 
did go to AZ.  Central Texas was poor, but some folks here did see
a few Leonids through small holes in the overcast.

Observer: Ed Cannon
Date: November 17/18, 2001 (actually all observations on Nov. 18)
Observing Sites: Near (SE of the town of Pecos, Reeves County, Texas 
 Location 1 -- (31.3N, 103.3W); HT=800m 
 Location 2 -- (31.3N, 103.4W); HT=800m 
(LOC 2 was several kilometers west of LOC 1.)

Facing northeast throughout, about 60 degrees above horizon
Teff = 1.85 - Times were taken using WWV radio.
F = 1.00 
Note:  Apparently there was fog throughout which rapidly grew much 
thicker near 11:00.  I did not notice the fog's gradual thickening 
until I took a break at 11:00.  For most of the period it was calm 
and mild; near the end of period I noticed a chilly breeze and 
later thought that must have been when the fog was thickening.

Summary

Period (UT)   Teff  F   LM   LEO  SPO  LOC   COMMENT(S)
-----------  ----- --- ---   ---  ---  ---   ----------
 9:00- 9:18  0.267  1  5.9    57    7    1
 9:43-11:00  1.283  1  5.6   950   19    2   thick fog near 11:00
11:01-11:19  0.200  1  4.0    81    0    2   a lot of fog
11:21-11:31  0.100  1  3.0    25    0    2   even more fog

Overall Totals
Period (UT)   Teff  F   LM   LEO  SPO  LOC   COMMENT(S)
-----------  ----- --- ---   ---  ---  ---   ----------
 9:00-11:31  1.850  1  var  1113   26  var   

Details

Location 1 
At start, I counted 12 stars in Auriga (IMO LM field #17).

Period (UT)    FOV      Teff   LM    F   LEO  SPO
-----------  --------  -----  ----  ---  ---  ---
 9:00-9:03   7:40,+47  0.050  5.91   1    10    0
 9:03-9:06   7:40,+47  0.050  5.91   1     3    2
 9:06-9:07   7:40,+47  0.017  5.91   1     3    0
 9:07-9:08   7:40,+47  0.017  5.91   1     9    2
 9:08-9:09   7:40,+47  0.017  5.91   1     2    0
 9:09-9:10   7:40,+47  0.017  5.91   1     5    0
 9:11-9:12   7:40,+47  0.017  5.91   1     4    1
 9:12-9:13   7:40,+47  0.017  5.91   1     3    2
 9:13-9:14   7:40,+47  0.017  5.91   1     3    0
 9:14-9:15   7:40,+47  0.017  5.91   1     2    0
 9:15-9:16   7:40,+47  0.017  5.91   1    10    0
 9:17-9:18   7:40,+47  0.017  5.91   1     3    0
----------   --------  -----  ----  ---  ---  ---
                       0.267  5.91        57    7

Location 2

Note:  I decided to leave location 1 after thinking for a few 
minutes about the sign there that said something close to this: 
"CAUTION!  Potential lethal poison gas hazard!"  (I had ended 
up in an area of active oil/natural gas well-drilling and 
could hear the sound of drilling somewhere in the distance.)

Session 1: 9:43 through 11:00 -- continuous, no breaks.
At start, I counted 11 stars in Auriga triangle, IMO field #17.
Just after the end of this period, I discovered that I could 
see only 6 stars in the same field.  So I have attempted to 
estimate the gradual deterioration of LM near the end of the 
period.

Period (UT)    FOV      Teff   LM    F   LEO  SPO
-----------  --------  -----  ----  ---  ---  ---
09:43-09:44  8:23,+47  0.017   5.6   1    4    2 
09:44-09:45  8:24,+47  0.017   5.6   1   10    0 
09:45-09:46  8:25,+47  0.017   5.6   1    7    0 
09:46-09:47  8:26,+47  0.017   5.6   1    9    0 
09:47-09:48  8:27,+47  0.017   5.6   1    5    0 
09:48-09:49  8:28,+47  0.017   5.6   1    4    0 
09:49-09:50  8:29,+47  0.017   5.6   1    8    0 
09:50-09:51  8:30,+47  0.017   5.6   1    3    0 
09:51-09:52  8:31,+47  0.017   5.6   1    7    0 
09:52-09:53  8:32,+47  0.017   5.6   1    7    0 
09:53-09:54  8:33,+47  0.017   5.6   1    6    0 
09:54-09:55  8:34,+47  0.017   5.6   1    5    0 
09:55-09:56  8:35,+47  0.017   5.6   1    6    2 
09:56-09:57  8:36,+47  0.017   5.6   1    6    0 
09:57-09:58  8:37,+47  0.017   5.6   1    8    1 
09:58-09:59  8:38,+47  0.017   5.6   1    7    0 
09:59-09:60  8:39,+47  0.017   5.6   1    7    0 
10:00-10:01  8:40,+47  0.017   5.6   1    8    0 
10:01-10:02  8:41,+47  0.017   5.6   1   13    0 
10:02-10:03  8:42,+47  0.017   5.6   1   14    2 
10:03-10:04  8:43,+47  0.017   5.6   1   10    0 
10:04-10:05  8:44,+47  0.017   5.6   1   17    0 
10:05-10:06  8:45,+47  0.017   5.6   1   16    0 
10:06-10:07  8:46,+47  0.017   5.6   1    9    1 
10:07-10:08  8:47,+47  0.017   5.6   1   15    0 
10:08-10:09  8:48,+47  0.017   5.6   1   11    0 
10:09-10:10  8:49,+47  0.017   5.6   1   12    1 
10:10-10:11  8:50,+47  0.017   5.6   1   12    0 
10:11-10:12  8:51,+47  0.017   5.6   1   15    0 
10:12-10:13  8:52,+47  0.017   5.6   1   10    0 
10:13-10:14  8:53,+47  0.017   5.6   1    7    0 
10:14-10:15  8:54,+47  0.017   5.6   1   18    0 
10:15-10:16  8:55,+47  0.017   5.6   1   13    0 
10:16-10:17  8:56,+47  0.017   5.6   1   12    0 
10:17-10:18  8:57,+47  0.017   5.6   1    9    0 
10:18-10:19  8:58,+47  0.017   5.6   1   14    0 
10:19-10:20  8:59,+47  0.017   5.6   1   15    1 
10:20-10:21  9:00,+47  0.017   5.6   1   18    0 
10:21-10:22  9:01,+47  0.017   5.6   1   10    0 
10:22-10:23  9:02,+47  0.017   5.6   1   10    0 
10:23-10:24  9:03,+47  0.017   5.6   1   13    0 
10:24-10:25  9:04,+47  0.017   5.6   1   15    0 
10:25-10:26  9:05,+47  0.017   5.6   1   17    0 
10:26-10:27  9:06,+47  0.017   5.6   1   19    0 
10:27-10:28  9:07,+47  0.017   5.6   1   17    0 
10:28-10:29  9:09,+47  0.017   5.6   1   12    0 
10:29-10:30  9:10,+47  0.017   5.6   1   16    0 
10:30-10:31  9:11,+47  0.017   5.6   1    8    0 
10:31-10:32  9:12,+47  0.017   5.6   1   18    0 
10:32-10:33  9:13,+47  0.017   5.6   1   22    1 
10:33-10:34  9:14,+47  0.017   5.6   1   15    0 
10:34-10:35  9:15,+47  0.017   5.6   1   10    0 
10:35-10:36  9:16,+47  0.017   5.6   1    7    2 
10:36-10:37  9:17,+47  0.017   5.6   1   14    2 
10:37-10:38  9:18,+47  0.017   5.6   1   13    0 
10:38-10:39  9:19,+47  0.017   5.6   1   21    0 
10:39-10:40  9:20,+47  0.017   5.6   1   25    0 
10:40-10:41  9:21,+47  0.017   5.6   1   11    0 
10:41-10:42  9:22,+47  0.017   5.5   1   10    0 
10:42-10:43  9:23,+47  0.017   5.4   1   13    1 
10:43-10:44  9:24,+47  0.017   5.3   1   10    0 
10:44-10:45  9:25,+47  0.017   5.2   1   12    0 
10:45-10:46  9:26,+47  0.017   5.2   1   18    0 
10:46-10:47  9:27,+47  0.017   5.1   1   18    0 
10:47-10:48  9:28,+47  0.017   5.0   1   13    1 
10:48-10:49  9:29,+47  0.017   4.9   1   14    0 
10:49-10:50  9:30,+47  0.017   4.8   1   14    2 
10:50-10:51  9:31,+47  0.017   4.8   1   12    0 
10:51-10:52  9:32,+47  0.017   4.7   1   16    0 
10:52-10:53  9:33,+47  0.017   4.6   1    9    0 
10:53-10:54  9:34,+47  0.017   4.5   1   20    0 
10:54-10:55  9:35,+47  0.017   4.4   1   11    0 
10:55-10:56  9:36,+47  0.017   4.4   1   19    0 
10:56-10:57  9:37,+47  0.017   4.3   1   16    0 
10:57-10:58  9:38,+47  0.017   4.2   1   22    1 
10:58-10:59  9:39,+47  0.017   4.1   1   17    0 
10:59-11:00  9:40,+47  0.017   4.0   1   13    0 
-----------  --------  -----  ----  ---  ---  ---
                       1.283         1   950  19

Session 2 at Location 2, anecdotal due to very poor LM, but
obviously Leonids still going strong

Five-minute totals
Period (UTC)   Teff   LM  F  LEO  SPO
------------  -----  ---  -  ---   --
11:01-11:09#  0.083  3.6  1   35    0
11:09-11:14   0.083  3.2  1   28    0
___________
# Three-minute break

Three-minute total
Period (UTC)   Teff   LM  F  LEO  SPO
------------  -----  ---  -  ---   --
11:14-11:19*  0.033  3.1  1   18    0
              -----  ---  -  ---   --
     Totals   0.200           81    0
___________
* Two-minute break

Session 3 at Location 2, anecdotal due to very poor LM
Period (UTC)   Teff  LM   F  LEO  SPO
------------  -----  ---  -  ---   --
11:21-11:31   0.100  2.7  1   25    0
(four minutes down time)

Due to the thickening fog and cars starting to drive by 
(after not one for more than two hours), I called it quits.

Long before finally arriving at the first location above, 
around 7:00-7:30 UTC at a nice place that looked too 
vulnerable to getting foggier than it already was, I saw 
three nice earth-grazers.  Also I saw half a dozen bright 
Leonids at various moments while driving, including a 
couple of them in bright twilight as I was heading back to 
the motel.

Ed Cannon - ecannon@mail.utexasdot edu - Austin, Texas, USA
http://wwwvms.utexasdot edu/~ecannon/meteorlinks.html 
(needs updating!)

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