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Originally Posted by fringe_dweller
great reports guys! cheers!  
swannies, meteor showers from under dark country skies vs suburban skies are chalk and cheese imo - even the diff in numbers visible from a reasonable dark country sky to a more remote pristine dark sky (ie very little or zero light domes interference) are seemingly out of proportion to me to the minor LM increase, the bright ones you see in the city are even brighter in the country (ie glowing trains are more noticeable and longer lasting ect.) and mag +4 ,5, 6 and 7 meteors seem like fireballs  hehe not to mention your dark adaption is probably that much better. its like as dark as an immersion tank out there as you know.
And one thing we are rich in here in SA, would have to be the plentiful very dark skies (and generally clearer northern sa skies) within easy drive/reach imo.
re: the sonic boom with 2001 leonids morning, dont forget the meteors only come as low as 70 klm in altitude at best! typically, and the speed of sound is 344 m/s so it would take like, very roughly, @ ~3 secs per klm, 3.5 mins to reach your ears from directly overhead, not to mention the longer it would take if it was offset from your location ie probably 6 min delay for most. EDIT: personally, I have never heard a sonic boom from a meteor, and I have been going out for showers since 1997, and general observing since late '94, but I have heard an 'electrophonic' meteor, but thats a different mechanism - radio waves, and its instantaneous.
I'm surprised you didnt enjoy the '98 leonids even from adelaide, you must of missed the main morning (17th local time), it was raining fireballs from midnight till 2 am  |
I concur about the dark skies! If I had the time and commitment
I would venture out to some dark skies. I was in
when I stayed over at Cowell on the Eyre Peninsula. The Milky Way band blew me away (once the lights at the local oval were turned off
). Perhaps I should go out to a dark sky so that I can kick myself knowing what I'm really missing out on!
Hmm....I wouldn't have called it a sonic boom but it was more like a "crackling" sound (as stated in that Peekskill 1992 Meteorite thread). Maybe it was steam coming our of my ears as I was just sssooooo
due to the clouds. It was certainly the brightest meteor I have ever seen (maybe around -8) and it occurred pretty much at sunrise.
Perhaps I meant to say I have been observing the Leonids shower since '99. Can't remember if it was that year or '98. Oh well, only another 26 odd year till the next Leonids "storm"
Oh, I did go out again this morning. Pretty overcast and I saw no meteors