Video observations of Leonids 1999

We analyse data obtained by different ground-based video camera systems dur ing the 1999 Leonid meteor storm. We observe similar activity profiles at n earby observing sites, but significant differences over distances in the or der of 4,000 km. The main peak occured at 02:03 UT (lambda. = 235.degrees 2 86, J2000, corrected for the time of the topocentric stream encounter). At the Iberian peninsula quasi-periodic activity fluctuations with a period of about 7 min were recorded. The camera in Jordan detected a broad plateau o f activity at 01:39-01:53 UT, but no periodic variations. The Leonid bright ness distribution derived from all cameras shows a lack of faint meteors wi th a turning point close to +3(m), which corresponds to meteoroids of appro ximately 10(-3) g. We find a pin-point radiant at alpha = 153.degrees 65 +/ -0.degrees1, delta = 21.80 +/- 0.degrees1 (lambda. = 235.degrees 290). The radiant position is identical before and after the storm, and also during t he storm no drift is observed.