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Leonids

2001-11-18 16:38:43+00 by Dan Lyke 7 comments

The Leonids were a good show last night. At least one time when 5 or 6 were visible in the sky at once. It seemed to peak way[Wiki] after the predictions, our best viewing was in the 2:30 to 2:45 range.

[ related topics: Astronomy ]

comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):

#Comment made: 2001-11-18 19:23:13+00 by: whump [edit history]

That's what we saw from Fremont Peak this morning. The best part of the display from our vantage point was after 2:30.

We also saw a bolide explode in a flash that lit half the sky for a brief moment. It left a curl of smoke which hung in the sky for a couple of minutes after.

#Comment made: 2002-02-21 05:33:22+00 by: whump

#Comment made: 2002-02-21 05:33:22+00 by: Diane Reese

We saw that same bolide flash and persist, from the top of Santa Teresa County Park, and also had a 5-at-once experience: it was tough to decide where to focus sometimes! We saw some "twin" entrants (which came in simultaneously and in parallel), some that seemed to us like skipping stones, and a few of our favorite entrants which seemed confused (or maybe just contrary), appearing to head in directions completely counter to all their buddies. Our best viewing was between 2:30 and 3 also. Quite a memorable experience...and I was surprised at how many people made the trip to watch!

#Comment made: 2002-02-21 05:33:22+00 by: whump

There was a traffic jam on the road up to Fremont Peak. The park filled up long before we arrived and the only safe thing to do was to crawl to the gate and turn around there. But we did manage to find a nice viewing spot along the main ridgeline.

I loved how the pines framed the horizon and the meteors. That, my friends, is the stuff postcards are made of. ;>

#Comment made: 2002-02-21 05:33:23+00 by: markd

I am majorly bummed. I live out in western PA, far from city lights and have access to a large farm with a *huge* viewable area of the sky. And what happens is we get two days of the thickest fog I have ever seen. Bah.

#Comment made: 2002-02-21 05:33:23+00 by: TheSHAD0W

From Neal Boortz's website (http://www.boortz.com/nealznuz.htm):

THE GREAT METEOR SHOWER THREAT

At 4:30 Sunday morning I went into my back yard and sat in a lounger ? peering up between the trees at the meteor show. I guess I saw about 25 or so in 10 minutes, then wandered back to bed. No problems.

Pity, though, the poor people in Cobb County who decided that the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield would be a good place to watch the skies. I?m told that about 150 people were gathered there to watch the spectacle at 4:00. At about 4:20 the Park Rangers and the Cobb County police showed up ? blue lights flashing and bullhorns screaming. The crowd was told they were breaking precious federal laws by being on the property before dawn. I?ve received reports from some who were there that officers actually found cause to rough up one man in front of his family.

Not a good showing for The National Park Service ?..

#Comment made: 2002-02-21 05:33:25+00 by: John Abbe

I also noticed the contrarians. Anyone know the science? I just assumed they were non-Leonids, as one might see on any night.

From AbbeNormal:

The meteors were short and sticky to long and streaky and every other combination you can imagine, sometimes coming in pairs or threes. They were still going strong when i got home (4am), way after the projected peak time. I even asked for one more, and paid for my hubris with a sore neck and a three minute wait, but was paid off with a long bright one with a glowing finish.