[AZ-Observing] Re: Bolide!

Yes! Just about time to tear down the equipment I saw it. Bright green and
white stuff slowly going across the northern horizon. At the mid point of
it's travel, a very bright explosive event. It seemed it was a "tumbling"
explosive event. I was located a few miles below Happy Jack, Az. It was at
least 40 degrees in length, maybe about five degrees above the horizon. I
wrote down the time and approx. location, too. The notes are at home, but I
think it was at 5:23am.

The Leonid Shower was indeed a "Once in a Lifetime" event. It ROCKED!!! 

I had cirrus clouds to deal with, but never any thick stuff. I began viewing
on the chaise lounge at 1:00 am. Saw my first one at 1:03 am. A long bright
one in the north about 40 degrees in length. I wrote down the location and
times of each one I saw for the first hour. Saw about 60. BUT, I was only
viewing from the meridian to the East. So there was probably many more that
I missed. 

The shower progressed rapidly after 2:30 am. I began shooting 5 min.
exposures with Elite 400 slide film on 50mm f2. Wound up with 17 shots
total, the last three being 10 min. exps. with the 28mm at f2.8. I got one
meteor each on 9 frames and 2 on 2 frames. All on fixed tripod. I developed
the slides last nite in my kitchen. Wished I would have used a faster film.
And I wished I had set up an "ALL SKY CAMERA" !!!

The show was "Excellent", folks. They just kept raining down all the way
'till twilite. I saw all the stuff they were talking about in many of the
reports posted here. All types of meteors. Short ones, long ones, and
explosive ones that lit-up the ground like lightning. 

The 'ancients' must have been_scared to death_ if they saw one of these
showers! 

The colors I saw in the average 7-10 degree meteor was greenish. But the
short "point" meteors were white.

I'll check the time again on that BOLIDE when I get home today, Wil.

The excitement factor here was like a total eclipse in clear skies, but
longer and BETTER!

Rick Rotramel
SAC


> -----Original Message-----
> From: brett watson [SMTP:bwatson@xxxxxxxx]
         
> at approx. 5:45am...  i saw 
> a wonderful flaming/green bolide streaking low on the northern horizon, 
> going west to east.  i dont' see how it could have been a leonid.  it was 
> *huge*...  probably a finger-width held out at arms length.  it was about 
> 10 degrees above the horizon to the north.
         
> it flashed brightly, and then trailed a wispy, wide trail of green for 
> about 20 degrees before dying.  no persistance in the trail though.  it
> was 
> *awesome*, in addition to quite a good night.
> 
> -b
> 
> 
> 
         

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