Ground-Based Leonid Imaging in the UV

During the 1999 Leonid meteor storm, a camera with a UV sensitive image intensifier and CCD readout (ICCD), was operated at the Wise Observatory in Mitzpe Ramon, Israel. The photocathode spectral response, together with the transmittance of the atmosphere, limited the sensitivity to a narrow band around 320 nm. The aim was to obtain quantitative information on emitted radiance in this band, for comparison with recordings of the same tracks in other wavelengths. The field of view of 7°.2 × 5°.7 was pointed to the East at about 60° elevation and the video recorded from 21 until 03 UT, Nov. 18, 1999. At least five clear images of meteor tracks were recorded, and compared with the signals from known stars. It was concluded that the brightest track gave an estimated monochromatic magnitude at 320 nm peaking at ~ −4. Some of the peculiarities of astronomical observation with a photon-counting imager are discussed.