Leonid Fireballs 2001

ATel #78; R. J. Nemiroff, D. Perez-Ramirez, W. Pereira, J. B. Rafert, C. Ftaclas (Michigan Tech) & S. Ashe on behalf of the CONCAM team
on 23 Nov 2001; 18:02 UT
Credential Certification: Robert Nemiroff (nemiroff@mtu.edu)

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All four CONCAMs that compose our current global network of continuously operating fisheye CCD cameras have recorded numerous fireballs during the recent peak of the 2001 Leonid Meteor Shower. A preliminary list of fireballs is listed below, each of which received over 10,000 raw counts (uncorrected for zenith angle) during a three minute exposure. This makes each one brighter than approximately visual magnitude -1.5 integrated over one second. Specifically, the CONCAM on Kitt Peak in Arizona recorded fireballs during increasing cirrus clouds on Nov. 18 on frames starting at approximately UT 09:13:13, 09:49:10, 09:57:13 (2 fireballs), 10:05:06, 10:25:07, 10:29:08, 10:33:09, 10:45:03 (2), 10:49:04, 10:53:04, 10:57:05 (2), 11:04:58, 11:12:59, 11:17:00, 11:24:55, 11:28:57, 11:32:57, 11:48:53, 12:24:50, 12:28:53, and 12:32:54. Similarly, the CONCAM on Mauna Kea in Hawaii recorded fireballs in light cirrus on Nov. 18 on frames starting at UT 10:12:57, 12:26:05, 12:30:09, 12:54:22, 14:06:58, 14:11:00, 14:27:08, 14:35:14, 14:43:16, 14:55:27, 15:07:31 (2), 15:15:36 (3), and 15:23:37 (2). The CONCAM on Mt. Wilson in California recorded fireballs, despite significant cirrus clouds, on Nov. 18 starting at UT 10:38:16, 10:50:27, 10:58:30 (2), 11:02:33 (2), 11:06:37, 11:18:41, 11:22:44, 12:03:11, 12:23:23 (3), 12:27:25, 12:47:36, 12:51:40. The CONCAM at Wise Obs. in Israel recorded fireballs despite light cirrus clouds on Nov. 18 on frames starting at UT 21:46:04, 21:53:56; and on Nov. 19 on frames starting at UT 00:03:44, 00:23:24, 00:35:12, 00:43:04, 01:30:16, 02:09:36, 02:17:28, 02:33:12, 03:00:44. Many more meteors were imaged, and more sporadic Leonid fireball activity was seen on other nights. All CONCAMs produce a continuous stream of three-minute exposures from sunset to sunrise, with about 45% dead-time spent on image downloads and dark frame acquisitions. All CONCAM images remain available online at http://concam.net .

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