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Leonids continued

Leonids continued...

 

Friday. 7 P.M. Decision time. My traveling companions and I wanted to leave that night, to at least be closer to our observation point. We looked at the computer models in great detail one last time. The forecast for Central Texas remained poor. We could have gone west-- indeed, the weather system had moved a bit to the northeast-- but we would have had to drive FAR to the west (like into West Texas). The forecasts for points east looked better. So the decision was made: Louisiana or Mississippi, here we come! This worked well for me, because I have friends in Mississippi. Cool! We could meet them there. Interestingly, the forecast for the Houston area was for "partly cloudy" skies. Not too bad-- but for us, not worth the risk.

      So we left the lights and clouds of the Houston area and headed into Louisiana. I had five travelers with me: Hannah and Ryan Lange, Christie and Carrie Ponder, and Steve Grubbs. We arrived in Baton Rouge at 4 a.m. and slept for the night. We would have arrived a lot earlier but procrastination and an acid spill on the freeway prevented that.

      Noon on Saturday. After a quick breakfast, we were on the road. Our destination: Percy Quin State Park in Southern Mississippi. I had read that the skies were pretty dark there, especially since the Deep South Regional Stargaze star party is held there every October. But we would keep an eye on the weather, and explore other options, just in case.

      Sure enough, the low-pressure system that had been taunting us all week, would not go away! Even though the bulk of the clouds remained well to our west and northwest, there were small impulses of cirrus clouds that were heading in our direction, spawned off by the dreaded system. So, around 3 in the afternoon, I conversed with my friend Barbara Wilson, a fellow member of the Houston Astronomical Society. We had been talking earlier in the week, and, she, too had decided to go east. Accompanying her were her husband, Buster, and their friend, Bill Flanagan. They had already selected their destination. The Pontchartrain Astronomy Society, located in New Orleans, had invited them to the club’s private observatory, located about 60 miles north of the Crescent City.

      Barbara asked if I would lead my group there. Unfortunately, the cirrus clouds that lingered on the western horizon still worried us. So we stopped in a small town to get yet another update on the Internet. After looking at several satellite loops and forecasts, we STILL could not reach a decision. The forecast for southeastern Louisiana (where the club site is located) was "clear early", but "clouds rolling in late"-- although the skies should remain decent to good throughout the night. Areas further east looked like they would have clearer skies-- but that was not a guarantee. Worse, we had been on the road for a while, and that was several more hours that we would have to spend in the car. Even picking a specific destination was hard! Blasted clouds! We decided to push a bit further east, drive for a while, and make a final decision around dinnertime.

      Around 6 P.M., my cell phone rang. It was Barbara again. She said that she had just talked to someone who had just come from the southern coast of Mississippi. He had left that area to come to the New Orleans club site. He told her that the weather along the Mississippi coast and points east were actually worse. So she asked me if I could convince my group to come and meet her where she was. So I pulled the group over, and after a bit of discussion, we came to our conclusion: we would watch the 2001 Leonid Meteor Shower from the Larry Paulk Memorial Observing Site of the Pontchartrain Astronomy Society.

      After obtaining directions from one of the club members, and a bit more driving, we arrived at the site around 8 p.m. We met with Barbara, Buster, and Bill. We also received a very warm welcome from the club members. They were happy to have us there-- and we were happy to be there.

      And Leonids fever was on the rise! We had several hours to go-- but we astronomers can find ways to pass the time. We came armed with telescopes. And the skies were dark. Nice! Unfortunately, my friends and I came a bit unprepared for the heavy dew. We have yet to invest in "dew removal systems" for our telescopes. So that prevented us from doing too much telescopic viewing as we waited for the meteors to fly.

(By the way, if you would like to donate to the "Mark, Hannah, and Christie Telescopic Dew- Remover Fund, please send checks and cash to……..only kidding!!!)

      We had to pass the time by conversing with each other, our new- found friends, and by looking up at the sky with the naked eye. It was so pretty out there. The bright winter stars and the silvery band of the Milky Way made for a perfect night to just look up.

      Around 9 P.M. my friend Christie and I left to meet Kim Michael, one of my friends in Mississippi. We met her in a small town about 30 miles north of the observing site. I had asked Kim to tell her friends about the meteor shower, and to invite them to join us. Much to my delight, she complied with this request (even though she is not into astronomy herself). Unfortunately, she was able to convince only one of them to come along. (His name was Kyle Kimble). I wanted more of her friends to be there, but I was glad that he came along.

      We drove back to the observing site and arrived just before midnight-- right around the time that the meteors should have been appearing. Sure enough, we began to see some. The few meteors we saw over the next hour or so were SPECTACULAR. As I told one of my friends, the number of meteors in the hour or two after midnight would probably remain low, but they would all be the EARTHGRAZERS-- the shooting stars that last a LONG time (several seconds) because they are skimming through the upper portions of the Earth’s atmosphere.

      The minutes passed. We waited impatiently for the big outburst. The number of shooting stars rose slowly. Indeed, the count should have been on the rise. The radiant (the point from which the meteors appear to come from) was climbing higher in the sky. Around midnight, we were only seeing meteors on the western side of this point. As the hours passed, we began to see meteors on all sides of the radiant. As this imaginary spot climbed higher in the sky, we began to see more shooting stars. During the several hours after midnight, we were seeing a meteor every few minutes. The display was beginning to approach the best average meteor shower displays. Several dozen meteors per hour would have normally been a fine show. Still, for what we were hoping for, the action actually seemed a bit slow!

      Unfortunately, around this time, the weather began to play a role. The cirrus clouds that had been threatening us began to invade the sky from the southwest, accompanied by a heavy haze. Fortunately, the clouds and haze did not obscure the stars completely. The darkness of the sky was a bit compromised-- but it was still MUCH better than anyone could see from the city.

      Although we were seeing more meteors, the predicted outburst had not occurred. But we remained patient. Indeed, the teams of scientists that had predicted the show had pretty much agreed on one thing: that it would not last very long. The predicted times for the outburst over our area ranged anywhere from 4 a.m. to dawn, depending on which model we consulted.

      The sky must have sensed our impatience. Seemingly out of nowhere, the meteors began to fly across the sky in much greater rates. The time span between meteors gradually shortened. We began to see a meteor every minute or so, and then more than one per minute. Then, starting around 3:30 a.m., Leo the Lion spat the fire we had waited so long for.

      Over the next 90 minutes, there were meteors appearing in every direction. And when one appeared, we didn’t have to wait long for another one. Every few SECONDS, on average, a meteor would blaze across the sky. And there were times when we saw several meteors all at once! Like most meteor showers, the activity would come in bursts. Sometimes, there would just be a few meteors in a minute. Other moments went by when we would see a meteor every second. I did not do accurate counts, but I can imagine that we were seeing several hundred meteors per hour!

      The meteors were so numerous they began hard to keep track of. If we saw a meteor in one direction, we would hear about another one in a different direction. Anywhere we looked, we could just wait a short time, and see a meteor flash across our field of view. My head was twisting in every direction, trying to take in as many of the speedy flashes as possible. I’m sure I’m not the only one who woke up with a neck cramp the next morning!

      Speaking of discomfort, it was cold! Someone on the field reported that it was 37 degrees. (Okay, you northerners, stop laughing. 37 degrees is cold for us in the South.) But it was worth it. We were bundled up and shivering, but we were staring up in awe!

      Every time a meteor would come by, we would yell "OOH!" or "There’s ONE!" or something similar. Occasionally, we would get the Holy Grail of Shooting Stars: a fireball. When one of these gems would slash across the starry veil, the whole crowd would scream: "OOOOOHHHHH!!!!" and then we would cheer! There aren’t too many astronomical events that would make a group of people scream for joy!

      If one had the misfortune of being turned the wrong way when a fireball appeared, they would know it immediately: not only from the reaction of the crowd, but from the brilliant FLASH that it would produce. The fireballs that appeared that night exploded above us and illuminated the ENTIRE observing field, like a heavenly camera flash. Incredible!

      Originally, I had planned to photograph the meteor shower, using an array of four cameras. But the heavy dew had thwarted those plans hours earlier. I would have abandoned those plans anyway. It was hard enough working with one camera-- every time I would try to look at or through my camera to adjust it, I would miss another meteor. Or two. Or three. So I gave up, and just watched the unbelievable spectacle above my head.

      An unexpectedly brilliant cone of zodiacal light (sunlight reflecting off of dust particles in the solar system) appeared in the east and stretched all the way to the constellation Leo-- 2/3 of the way up in the eastern sky. The darkness of the sky began to be stolen away by the now advancing twilight. Still, we were seeing meteors! Because there was a high number of bright meteors this year, we could see meteors well into dawn. We stayed out for a little while longer—trying to see a few extra meteors—and then we got some much needed rest. The 2001 Leonid Meteor Shower was over—but it was well worth losing sleep for!

      Unfortunately, after a big event is over, there is a feeling of depression. Sure, we look forward to spectacular events such as this for a long time. When they happen, we are elated! We’re in the middle of an unforgettable moment, and we don’t want it to end, but it has to. I’m sure I wasn’t alone when I wished that twilight and sunrise would be delayed for a little while that morning! It’s hard to believe that all that preparation led to a crescendo of excitement-- and now it’s over. It certainly was worth everything we had been through!

      This event would not have worked out so well for me, had it not been for the assistance of some very good people. I would like to thank the members of the Pontchartrain Astronomy Society for inviting us to their fabulous observing site. The facilities provided great comfort, the skies were great, and the hospitality shown towards the Houston travelers was nothing short of amazing! I would also like to thank my friend Barbara Wilson for assisting me with my plans to head eastward and for convincing me to lead my group to that great observing location. I would like to thank all the people that came with me for understanding me and being patient with me when I was STRESSING out about the weather in the days preceding the event.

      Finally, I would like to thank all the people who watched the meteor show-- and those that spread the word about it. I feel a connection to EVERYONE that watched the Leonids in 2001. (and not just those who were there with me). We ALL stood, marveling, under the starry dome that night. No one who witnessed the show will ever forget it.

      The 10 friends that I had in my immediate vicinity and the approximately 50 people that we joined at the observing site will forever hold a special place in my heart. I feel an especially strong connection to them. It was the second most incredible thing I’ve ever seen in the sky, and the most fun I’ve ever had at an observing session. The only thing in the sky that I’ve seen in about 10 years in amateur astronomy that has topped this is a total eclipse of the sun-- but that was 2 minutes long. For sheer visual display, that must remain number one. But as enjoyable as the eclipse was, it was not as fun as the meteor shower. As the outburst occurred above, we were making wisecracks and having a great time! I don’t think I’ve laughed and smiled so much at an astronomical event. I could go on with the humorous things that were said that night, but, needless to say, it was a fun time on the ground and an AWESOME display above! It was such a thrill to share such an incredible event with so many great people!

Leonids, 2002, anyone?????

P.S.

      So what DOES come next? The Leonids are projected (again, NOT guaranteed) to have a very strong display over North America on the morning of November 19, 2002. Unfortunately, the full moon will drown out many of the fainter meteors. Still, the abundance of bright meteors in 2001 gives renewed hope for a grand display in 2002! Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

      This was indeed one of " the big events". As I mentioned above, I know that many people are not seriously into astronomy. If this event caused the astronomy bug to bite you, great! (But before you go out and buy a telescope, do your research! Contact me or your local astronomy club for assistance!) If not, that’s okay, too. Besides, the phrase "interested in astronomy" can take many meanings. You can get into it as deeply as you want to, from an occasional glance at the stars above, to serious astronomical research. Many people think that you need a telescope to get into astronomy. That is NOT true. Indeed, in my opinion, the most amazing things you can see in the sky are seen quite well with the naked eye. Some of you reading this have just seen one of them. Visit my 'Must-See' list of astronomical events. 

Visit WeatherFriend to see Christie's photographs and video of the Leonids 2001.

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