Leonids1999
November 17th and 18th, 1999
From Northern California...
Post Leonid report:
AANC President, Jane Houston's Leonid Adventure ... http://www.whiteoaks.com/mojo/jhmac/
International Leonid watching network: http://www.leonids.net/
The California Meteor Society in conjunction with
the NASA Ames Leonid MAC (Multi Aircraft) mission have compiled
the following information: http://www.leonids.com
(this site give instructions for plotting and observing the Leonids)
(this site is all about the Leonid Multi-Aircraft Campaign of 1999, and also a link to online and real-time observations of this mission)
Would you like some background information about meteors? Here it is! http://leonid.arc.nasa.gov/why.html
How about a summary of what the California Meteor Society is doing?
http://www.leonids.com/general_call.html
What makes the Leonids unique?
Read all about the history of the Leonids here.
http://leonid.arc.nasa.gov/why.html
Pre-Leonid Planning:
South Bay
The California Meteor Society will be conducting organized Leonid observing
at two south bay sites. Volunteers are welcome, and needed. There will be will be
experienced Meteor observers at both sites.
Near Mount Hamilton - Holler Observatory:
One group planned for Holler Observatory on Mount Hamilton
The Madonna Center, on Mount Madonna:
Contact Staff@leonids.com for directions and instructions.
The California Meteor Society's observing campaign will be
Wednesday night / Thursday Morning 11/16 - 11/17 and
Thursday night / Friday morning 11/17 - 11/17
Pinnacles National Monument
On Wednesday Night and Thursday Morning,
November 16th and 17th, join Ranger Chad Moore
and members of the San Jose Astronomical
Association (SJAA) for Meteor Observing.
http://www.whiteoaks.com/eph/9907/k.html for directions and a phone number.
Fremont Peak and Henry Coe State Parks are good dark sites for the public to observe meteors. For directions, please see http://www.seds.org/billa/sjaa/directions.html on the San Jose Astronomical Associations's website, and stay tuned to the California Meteor page at http://www.leonids.com/table_of_contents.shtml for updates .
Local contacts:
Peter Jenniskens
The SETI Institute e-mail: peter-max.arc.nasa.gov
NASA Ames Research Center
Mail Stop 239-4,
Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000
tel: (650) 604-3086
fax: (650) 604-1088
http://leonid.arc.nasa.gov/index.html
Joshua staff@leonids.com
East Bay:
Lawrence Hall of Science:No actual meteor watching is planned
LHS advises meteor watchers to go to a better observing site
with a suitably dark sky as indicated by other entries on this page. Planetarium shows at LHS are currently (on weekends):
Mysteries of Missing Matter at 1:00 and 2:15 pm
Constellations Tonight at 3:30pm
Chabot Observatory and Science Center
November 5th and 6th, and November 12th and 13th -
"The Leonid Meteor Shower"
"The Sky Tonight" Planetarium Show
Admission: $5.00 Adults, $4.50 Senior Citizens, $3.50 youth, ages 6-17.
Chabot Observatory "Leonid Meteor Shower Watch". Remote site. Will
the Leonids storm in 1999? Wednesday/Thursday,
midnight 'till dawn
http://www.cosc.org/Programs.html
Easbay Astronomical Society (EAS)
Eastbay Astronomical Society will join Chabot Observatory & Science
Center to host a public meteor watch at Briones Regional Park from
midnight until dawn on Thursday morning, November 17 and also on
Friday morning November 18, 1999.
Toreach the sky party, take the Orinda exit from Highway 24 and proceed
north on Camino Pablo/San Pablo Dam Road to Bear Creek Road.
Turn right and go to the Briones Park entrance, on the right after four miles.
The viewing area is to the left, shortly beyond the entrance gate,
which will remain open throughout the night so that you may arrive late or leave early.
You'll want to bring a blanket or lounge chairs,
and perhaps be fortified with a thermos of hot chocolate.
If you bring a flashlight, please have it covered with red plastic;
and please dim your headlights in the immediate area.
http://chabot.cosc.org/~eas/r1199-3.htm
North Bay and beyond
Sacramento Valley Astronomical Society
Leonid Shower Viewing - The SVAS will be hosting a special
Leonid Meteor Shower viewing on the evening of Wednesday,
November 17th, at the Auburn Dam Overlook, from sunset to sunrise.
This event is open to the general public as well as SVAS members.
Inclement weather will mean cancellation of this special viewing. http://www.skywatchers.org/
The Explorit / Davis Astronomy Club will be watching for meteors from their Fairfield Ele. School site west of Davis on November 17 from 8:00 to 11:00 p.m. The school is at the intersection of Yolo County roads 32 and 96. More info at their internet site http://www.dcn.davis.ca.us/go/explorit/astronews/astroNov-99.html (Davis Astronomy Club site is http://www.dcn.davis.ca.us/~explorit/astronomy.html).
NASA will be carrying our Astrovid 2000 video cam in its
Meteor Balloon on Nov 18 for a live web and TV broadcast of the Leonids at:
Information collector: Jane Houston,
California Meteor Society and researcher on the NASA MAC '99 mission
Page web-posted by Alan Gould--Lawrence Hall of Science