(meteorobs) Some Geminids from Central VA on 11/12 December 2004

[FELIX A MARTINEZ]

Even though it amounted to looking between large holes in the quickly
passing clouds, I did observe from about 0610 - 0810 UT, here in Amherst
County, Virginia.  The sky holes were crystal clear with a limiting
magnitude of about 6.3, not bad from my own backyard!  Meteors seen were
as follows:

0543 UT        Gem        2.0        Yellow
0555-0610     Gem        3.0           and                 
                    Spor        5.0

0621             Pup Vel     -1        Yellow
0638             Spor        4.0        
0643             Gem        1.0        Yellow
0652             Spor        3.0
0656             Gem        5.0        
0707             Gem        2.0        Blue
0708             Gem        1.0        Yellow
0715             Gem        -4          Blue; 2 sec Train
                    Gem        2.0        Yellow
0723             Gem        2.0         Blue
0725             X Ori       2.0         Yellow
0744             Spor         -2          Green; 1 sec Train
0758             Gem        4.0
0803             Spor        6.0         
0806             Mono       2.0         Green

Keep in mind that I saw these eighteen meteors while peering through
large holes in clouds that were passing across the skies the whole time. 
It finally became too overcast and I packed it in for the night.

The overcast grew thicker through the day on Sunday and did not clear
until sometime the morning of 13 December.  I really should have set the
alarm for about 0230 local as it may have mostly cleared by then, or soon
thereafter.  It was definitely clear (with some patchy fair weather
cumulus) by the time I got up around 0630 EST.  Guess I was too
discouraged and "heartbroken" from the several times that I checked last
night and it was so completely overcast?

Definitely more encouraged by seeing these reports of my observing
"buddies" from days gone by (Norm, Bob) and the other well established
regulars of this list (like Kim)!  Plus the skies are a beautiful blue
and totally clear right now.  However, winter's chill has arrived.  Time
to make use of the electric blanket and long johns as temperatures are
forecast to be well below freezing tonight!  I will begin my Observing
Session around 2110 EST and go until the rates drop below twenty/hour,
maybe sometime after 0300 EST.  Guess that this year I will have to
settle for Quality Meteors over the great Quantity available last night??

                        In Astronomical Affinity - Felix


On Mon, 13 Dec 2004 06:02:09 -0500 "Norman W. McLeod III"
<nmcleod at peganet.com> writes:
> I just came in from a 6-hour watch  (1026 pm - 430 am) in rather cool 
> 
> conditions, dropping to the high 40'sF.  Sky was excellent, LM 
> 7.3.  Geminids seemed to start off well but then faded.  Definitely 
> not 
> like the same date in past leap years.  I skipped the last hour 
> since so 
> little was going on.  Am thinking I got a couple of hours over 60 
> Geminids.  Will be tallying them up later today.  Looking more like 
> my 
> thoughts on the Geminid decline are confirmed.  Joan and I plan on 
> going 
> out tonight 9 pm to around 2 am to cover the bright Geminid period.  
> Best 
> seen so far was a  -8m.
> 
> Another house has sprung up just 4 blocks west of my site, with a 
> damn 
> light shining through a gap in the pine trees.  I faced SE for a 
> full view 
> with the car blocking the light.  Made use of it to read a big clock 
> 
> without turning my flashlight on.  Guess this site is doomed, one 
> day I 
> will go out there and find a house on it.  Will have to try some 
> other 
> block in the area eventually.  No use having a remote house for 
> astronomy, 
> as someone else will move onto the next lot and ruin the whole 
> place.
> 
> The night before, partly cloudy at times from town, I spent 15 
> minutes here 
> and there just casually watching in big clearings.  So no Geminids 
> at all, 
> but did see a  -3m Delta Arietid with heavy fragmenting at the end.
> 
> Norman
> 
> 
> Norman W. McLeod III
> Staff Advisor
> American Meteor Society
> 
> Fort Myers, Florida
> nmcleod at peganet.com
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