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D.M. Hunten, A.L. Sprague (LPL, U. Arizona), G. Cremonese (U. Padua)
We describe attempts to observe an enhancement in the Na atmosphere of the Moon during the 1997 Leonid shower, November 16 -- 18. We also report observations of the meteors by members of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers and the North American Meteor Network. These results show a peak, a few hours wide, at about 12:50 UT on November 17; we also saw a number of bright meteors, perhaps one every few minutes. We find an enhancement of lunar Na of about 17 percent, but it is not statistically significant. It also appears to last the entire 3 days of our observations, so if it is real it must be related to a cloud of much smaller meteoroids than those of the main peak, with a considerably longer duration. Prospects are not good for lunar observations in 1998, because the event occurs close to New Moon; 1999 is much more favorable, just before third quarter.