Observations of the 2009 Leonid activity by the Tajikistan fireball network

Abstract

The fireball network in Tajikistan operates since 2009. Observations of the 2009 Leonid activity were carried out on November 13−21. In this period 16 Leonid fireballs were photographed. As a result of astrometric and photometric reductions, the precise data including atmospheric trajectories, velocities, orbits, light curves, and photometric masses were determined for ten fireballs. Low-resolution video spectra were obtained for six fireballs.The radiant positions during the maximum night suggest that the majority of the fireball activity was caused by the annual stream component with only minor contribution of the 1466 trail. According to their end heights, nearly half of Leonid fireballs belonged to the most fragile and weak fireball group IIIB and the rest to the slightly more dense cometary group IIIA. However, one detected Leonid belonged to the fireball group I. This is the first detection of an anomalously strong Leonid individual. Its chemical composition was not markedly different from other Leonids.