RADAR OBSERVATIONS OF THE 1999 AND 2000 LEONID METEOR STORMS AT MIDDLE EUROPE AND NORTHERN SCANDINAVIA

摘要

Observations of the 1999 and 2000 Leonid meteor storms made with all-sky meteor radars in Middle Europe (54N) and northern Scandinavia (68N) were analysed in terms of height-dependent meteor rates and entrance velocities. The 1999 Leonid meteor storm is characterised by a major activity peak on November 18 at 02h05m UT with a peak rate of about 1400 meteors/h. In contrast to the 1999 observations, we found three activity maxima for the 2000 Leonid storm. The first peak (160 meteors/h) was observed on November 17, 2000, at 08h15m UT related with the 1932 Leonid dust trail. The second well pronounced maximum (145 meteors/h) was detected on November 18 at 07h25m UT associated with the 1866 Leonid dust trail. The third broad activity event (about 100 meteors/h on average) was found on November 18 between 01h UT and 05h UT related with the 1733 Leonid dust trail. During both years the Leonid storm activity was dominant at altitudes above 100 km.