(meteorobs) Re: Leonid Report for Western NC.

To: meteorobs@atmob.org
Subject: (meteorobs) Re: Leonid Report for Western NC.
From: Robert Lunsford <lunro.imo.usa@home.com>
Date: Wed, 21 Nov 2001 16:59:11 -0800
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Delivered-To: meteorobs@atmob.org
Organization: ALPOMS, AMS, & IMO
References: <20011122.121706.-3481881.1.rickacreel@juno.com>
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Rick,

What you spotted sounds like an Iridium flare. This are basically caused
by sun glints off one of the many Iridium satellites. You can learn more
about these satellites at http://www.satobs.org/iridium.html

Clear Skies!

Robert Lunsford

> Rick Creel wrote:
> 
> We live in the mountains of Western North Carolina.
> 35.1060N   83.0970W  Altitude 3,600 feet
> Viewing East to Southwest from 20 degrees to Zenith  Limiting
> magnitude was at 5.5
> Below 20 degrees obscured due to haze from recent forest fires.
> Viewing southwest to Northeast from 36 degrees to zenith limiting
> magnitude 5.5/Below 36 degrees obscured by mountains.
> 
> We had 16 people here to observe.  All are new so all we got were
> rough counts.  We just wanted to let you know what we saw.
> We started the count at 6:30(UT) and were getting about 250/hr until
> 08:30(UT).
> Activity picked up between 08:30 and 09:30(UT) to about 300/hr.
> There was a marked increase at 09:30 with 2-3/second then stop for a
> couple of seconds, followed by more bursts.
> Between 09:30 & 10:30UT we counted just over 600 leonids.
> Our total count for the 4hrs. was 1,414.  An impressive number I felt.
> 
> More data cold have been collected, but this was a night of families
> with their children.  Might I add, some as young as 5 years old that
> greatly appreciated the show. We were just trying to introduce them to
> the night sky.  After a night like this, they were ALL in awe.
> Perhaps they to will become future observers.
> 
> One very interesting object was seen.  Did anyone else see this?
> >From our position, looking almost due south, at about 09:00UT, an
> extremely bright object (magnitude -4.0+), moving slowly from south to
> east about 15 degrees above the horizon.  It burned for about 3-4
> seconds before it fell apart.  As it did so, you could see the hot,
> illuminated debris falling from the fireball.  Must have been an old
> rocket booster, piece of a satellite or something. Just wandering if
> anyone else saw it.  You would nearly have to be south of our latitude
> to see it.  I heard observation in that direction was very limited.
> 
> See ya'll in the Geminids!
> Rick Creel
> 
>
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