From: John Krempasky, Maryland 
Date: Thu, 18 Nov 1999 01:40:15 -0500


>Has anyone on the U.S. East Coast noted any Leonid activity yet?
>I hope we at least get some crumbs from the Leonid feast that the Mid East
>got!
>Please answer up if you have seen any siginficant activity.
>Thanks!

I'm sad to say, not really here in Maryland.

It's very cold and it turns out there's quite a lot I need to do tomorrow
morning, so after 15 minutes (1 AM to 1:15 AM) and one legitimate
Leonid....I've decided to pack it in....was fairly clear, the whole sickle
of Leo was above the horizon and all the main stars visible, mainly observed
above Leo to Taurus and to the Big Dipper.....

My apologies for not having a definate limiting magnitude :-)  I'd say
average semi-rural conditions.

Pretty disappointing after the fireball fest last year but I had very low
expectations. that peak was even briefer than expected over Europe, it
seems.

I'm sure if your goal is to see a Leonid you will see one, but since the
main peak was nailed this year by the forecast I doubt there's any magical
double peak that would start up another storm.

(watch it go to 100,000/hr right after I go to sleep in 5 minutes :-)