(meteorobs) December 12/13 mostly cloudy in So. Cent. Oregon

[Wesley Stone]

It looked like there would be a miracle; just one more band of clouds to move from west to east on the satellite loop, and then crystal clear sky behind it.  I waited outside, casually admiring meteors that appeared early in the evening, and pointing my binoculars and telescope at targets in the clear areas.  Comet Machholz was really impressive when it was in the clear!  Just as it seemed that the last of these mid-level clouds was going to exit the scene, I started setting up for meteor observing.  I went in the house to get my sleeping bags, etc. and when I came out a torrent of low clouds was pouring in from the north, looking like nothing so much as a giant gray fist with middle finger extended toward me.  North was a bad direction; all the bad weather had been up to the north, and it was soon clear that there was an unlimited supply of this stuff.  

It was too bad, as through the diminishing sucker holes I could see that the Geminids were really kicking into gear.  For example, around 10:30pm, there was a burst of 5 Geminids in 30 seconds, all of them visible through the thinner clouds.  I went in and had a cup of tea, hoping that this would all blow over.  Instead, it just blew in.  Occasionally, things would thin out; one flotilla of bright Geminids included a blue-white -4 in the NW, and a -6 blue fireball lit up the clouds to the E.  But it was a losing battle.  I drove around to see if I could get above the clouds, but was only successful in getting into the middle of them.  It was a bit late to make a serious run to the south.  I set hourly alarms, but it was completely socked in for most of the morning.  This evening doesn't look good, either.

Glad to hear that others got good rates, although the late morning drop-off sounds a bit ominous.

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Wes Stone
Chiloquin, OR
http://skytour.homestead.com
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