From: Mark Davis, NAMN, South Carolina Date: Nov. 18, 1997 Upon waking to a clear but freezing night, I decided to head for a local island as the temperatures there are usually a couple of degrees warmer. Even so, it was just plain cold. A steady wind blowing out across the ocean and "variable" meteor rates did not help matters. I was able to observe for four hours beginning at 0100 EST (0600 UT). With only four minutes left in my initial hour, the first Leonid appeared, a +1.0 magnitude with a 1 second train (0156 EST/0656 UT). The next hour seven Leonids were observed, three sporting trains. The rate at which meteors were appearing (both Leonid and sporadics) seemed to "cut off" after a 15 minute break at 0300 EST/0800 UT. During that third hour only five Leonids and two sporadics were observed, resembling the first hour of the night when the radiant was lower. The best Leonid rate did pick up my last hour when nine were observed during the period 0415-0515 EST/0915-1015 UT. The raw counts follow: 0600-0700 (LEO)1 (SPO)4 0700-0800 (LEO)7 (SPO)5 0815-0915 (LEO)5 (SPO)2 0915-1015 (LEO)9 (SPO)3 The sky was clear the entire session, but my location did suffer from a 10 percent obstruction the entire session (F=1.11). Limiting magnitudes fluctuated in the +4's. A full report will be sent as usual.