FreeLists / az-observing / [AZ-Observing] Leonid Report from Table Mesa Rd. (New River)

[rick.rotramel@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

        Arrived about 3:00 AM to find cars scattered here and there right
off I-17.  All well behaved, no lights or noise, all must have been amateur
astronomers.  ;-)    Clear skies, some wind gusts, upper 30's to low 40's.
        I pulled into a flat area on the left about a mile in with four
other vehicles already there. Began observing the shower at 3:15 AM and kept
a clock going in my head for the frequency of meteors. Nothing happening '
till about 3:32 AM when the show started to happen. Slowly at first. Then I
noted at 3:40 AM, many double and triple meteors (in the area I was looking
at toward the radiant with the truck blocking the moon) every 15/20 seconds.
 
- I guessed and noted the narrow peak at ~3:45 AM
- I saw a slow, real bright, colorful, but short, about 1 deg. fireball at
3:40 above Leo's "back" near the radiant.
- A lull was noted at 3:55 AM, then it picked up again to one or two per
minute at 4:02.
- A bright one near The Big Dipper's bowl at 4:08
- A bright long one 15 deg. (?) lit the ground and left a trail, under
Cancer 4:35
- Another bright long one 10 deg, same place 4:37
- I was the last to leave, left at 4:40 AM, saw none on the drive home.

        Editorial: Well, aren't we spoiled here in Arizona! Good weather, a
very nice meteor show, mostly clear skies, and people moan of the let down
from last year. I almost didn't observe this one but decided last night to
do it and was glad I did it. I enjoyed it. How often do we get such a show?
;-)

Rick R.
SAC
 
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