yKChia's  Astro Site 

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bulletComet 55P/Temple -Tuttle - the parent body of Leonids
bullet - Nov 19 1767 dust trail encounter 04:03 UT ( Green )
bullet - Nov 19 1866  dust trail encounter 10:40 UT ( Yellow)
bullet** 'Watch Window' for Singapore ( Blue)

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      *** News flash  Nov 19 am 6:30am **
 Just back from one hour viewing in (05-06am) nearby park.  Despite a hazy sky, and park lightings - a total of 5 Leonids were seen. I I  fixed my gazed centering on Saturn with Jupiter (near radiant) just inside my FOV.  My  first was a dim Leonid close to Orion. High Lite was a -4 mag fireball low in SW horizon. The rest were: one- pairing flashed near Castor/Pollux. The sky improved towards 'peak hour'- 5:30am.  I believe folks in a darker sky should see even more.  ...-yKchia  [Ranking in visual appearrance  Leonids seen  in a scale of 0-10 ( 10 Best) : 1999 Jordan(9), 2000S'pore (3),2001Korea(8+), 2002Singapore(1 1/2).. ]
  
'Earthlings'  had been  enjoying a  series of of good Leonids in recent years (98,99,'01) - this coming Nov 19 2002 - probably will be the  last chance in our life time (at least mine)  to watch a Leonid  Storm (count two if you live in North Pole ,or if you  chartered a chase plane ,or invitee in the orbiting ISS Space Station).  This year Singapore is NOT favored both  geographically and timing-wise.   On Tuesday (Nov 19) while we are having lunch, the earth will plough 'head-long' onto  Comet 55P/ Temple Tuttle 's 1767 dust trails, providing the much anticipated  'firework' display over Europe.  And as we struggle with the evening rush hours, the earth will again be bombarded by  next dust -trails, entertaining our now night facing N American observers.  For day timer like us here- the Leonids  are still burning 100 km up  - the 'passages' are rendered invisible in broad day light by our life providing star - the SUN.  And for all these - thankful for our planet unique atmosphere 'shell', without which the natural firework will not be possible.

        In SGP the constellation of Leo rises only after 1:00 AM  local time (see radiant height in degree table below). So to catch any pre-storm/post-storm Leonids the watch 'window' is  from 1 am to dawn  weather permitting.    

       The expected  Leonids activities in SGP will therefore be low. According to Hiroshi Ogawa's  'Total Count Contour for SE Asia' we are expected at most  40 -60  per the whole viewing hours  with  peak around to 5:30 am. This give average of 6-10  meteors per hour  - a very low rate indeed.  ( compare to the 2-4 thousands in Storm level) 
 Radar map  (rain locations in Singapore)
UT  10 12 14 16 18 20 22 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 22
SGP Time 18 20 22 0 02 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 0 02 04 06
Radiant (degree)---> -13 +13 +40 +65 1767 (7 rev)

Non-Linear

 1866 (4 rev)

 Linear

 -13 +13 +40 +65
<-----------Watch--- ----> <------Watch--- ---->
Nov 19 SGP Leonids SEEN in one hr watch Nov 20 SGP
EAST @ 1.00 am - the radiant  barely rises above the horizon. A good time to watch for grazers - long, arcing Leonids.  ( The nearby bright  Jupiter can be used as  a guide post.)  The radiant is inside the Sickle.  By 6 am the radiant will be + 65 degree.   By 5.00 AM Jupiter /the  radiant will   climbed to 50+ degree elevation  - 'streaks' of leonids  if plotted backward will appear to converge from inside the 'Sickle' of the Constellation of Leo.

Special thanks to Hiroshi Ogawa-san  who responded to my request. Below is his  leonids graph for Singapore Nov 19 AM hours - reproduced here. The chart indicate the # of meteors in 10- minute interval.  Select  < Prospect for Singapore> above for more info.  - yKChia Nov '02