[APML] Leonids from Colorado

["Jon Kolb" <jkolb@datawest.net>]

Variable clouds had me disappointed until around 0130 MST, then it all
cleared off like magic.  Transparency and seeing were excellent, but
snow on the ground added to the moon's glow somewhat.  I set up in 11
Mile Canyon (you know, the one at the end of 11 Mile Reservoir, north of
39 Mile Mountain and south of 4 Mile Creek).  My great scheme to get in
this canyon and use the west wall to sheild the moon worked perfectly -
had I been another 200 yards south of the position I chose.  Looks like
I didn't check the magnetic deviation on my map when I scouted the
location on Sunday.  The moon carefully followed the outline of the rock
face as it set, remaining visible the whole time, and didn't get behind
the lower ridge until 0430.  The snow on the canyon walls and boulders
in the South Platte looked great as the moon angle changed through the
night.

There was a noticably sharp peak right around 0330-0350, but not the
intensity I had hoped for.  Maybe 200-300 ZHR for this brief period.
Nothing like last year, especially the lack of big fireballs.  I saw no
meteors that were "shadowcasters" like last year, and the rate before
the peak was much lower as well.  Still, it was an excellent shower, and
would doubtless have been spectacular were it not for the moon.  I'm not
optimistic that I got anything on film, but I might have had some luck
in Ursa Major, where the most action appeared to be from my location.
With luck though, I may have a nice winter canyon nightscape in there
somewhere.  The sound of the rapids on either end of the flat I set up
next to was very soothing to hear all night.  Winds were calm, temp
around 10F for most of the time after midnight, but little frost.

I also had some wild animal encounters last night.  One fox came nosing
around, so close I almost tripped over him, which was a shock to both of
us.  Later, clambering down the rock bank to check a possible downstream
composition, I startled something fairly large in the thicket on the
bank that jumped into the freezing river with a big splash - never saw
what that was (beaver, I told myself).   And then there was something
attempting to take apart a bear-proof garbage can at the picnic area
about 50 yards from me (BAM, BAM, BAM!).  I decided not to find out what
that was.  
 
Off to the lab.

Sincerely,
Jon Kolb
Adventures in Astrophotography
http://home.datawest.net/jkolb/
jkolb@datawest.net




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