(meteorobs) Greetings Meteor Observers.doc

[David Stine]

I corrected the minutes as they should be. I was using DST, but now it
is correct. I am not sure the other report went through anyway, as it
didn't bounce back to me, so here goes again. 

David Stine 
________________________________

Greetings Meteor Observers,
 
Oklahoma had unbelievable weather for this years Geminids.  We have had
6 straight nights of crystal clear weather.  I just wish I could have
handled all of those nights recording Gemini's. After Monday morning I
developed a severe cold and had to stay in for the Monday night
activity.  But...while walking the dog Monday night at 9:30p.m.CST I saw
a -5 Green Fireball come right out of Gemini and make a slow travel
across the sky toward the west.  Just beautiful and about 3 minutes
later I saw a -1 white meteor come out of Gemini between Castor and
Pollux.  I guess the Geminid Gods felt sorry for me not being able to
stay out and at least gave me two to whet my appetite.   I think this
years Geminids was as good or better than the Perseids.  I love watching
those slow green meteors come out of Gemini with those 3 or 4 second
smoky trains they leave behind.  I observed on Sunday night and Saturday
morning with my Astronomy Club of Tulsa co-harts at our dark observatory
site.  I personally counted 162 Geminids and 5 Sporadics(not sure which
radiant these came from but they definitely were not Geminids, 2 came
from the southern horizon, 2 from the area of Polaris, and one from the
West.)  Anybody got an idea which showers these belonged to?  Anyway we
had a great night and morning.  I know I missed probably as many as I
saw as people would yell out every minute of seeing 2 or three meteors
and I would miss these, so I bet the group as a whole saw in excess of
500 meteors that night.  The highlight of the night was a -6MG green
fireball that dropped slowly out of Gemini between Castor and Pollux and
fell to the Eastern Horizon leaving a smoky train behind of almost 6
seconds.  One of my co-harts grabbed his binoculars and could still see
the train twisting and turning long after the meteor had disappeared.
Awesome sight.  There seemed to be three areas of times that there was
an increase in activity coming at 0420-0455, 0520-0550 and the real
action 0700-0830(1a.m-2:30a.m.)  I wish I could have stayed longer as
they were really active just as I quit.  
 
Observer:  David Stine     Date observed:  Dec 12-13/04   Begin: 0130UT
End: 08:30UT
Location:  10 miles West of Mounds, Ok at the Astronomy Club of Tulsa
Observatory.  Mounds is 30 miles Southwest of Tulsa, OK.
Long. - 96.1471   W. Lat. - 35.8307   Elevation - 322.5609m 
Method: Tape Recorder
Percent of Clouds -  Not a single cloud the entire observing session 
Direction facing - 80% South at 60 degrees, 20% South at 90 Degrees
Limiting Mg. 0130-0230: 5.5  0230-0330: 5.8  0330-0430: 6.0  0430-0530:
6.2 
0530-0630: 6.0  0630-0830: 5.8
Total Observing Time:  7 Hours minus Break times totaling  65minutes
leaving actual observing time of 5 hours and 55 minutes.
 
Total Meteors  - Gemini - 162     Sporadic - 5
Magnitude Distribution:  +4(1)  +3(14)  +2(26)  +1(44)  0(47)  -1(14)
-2(8)  -3(4)  -4(1)  -5(2)  -6(1)  Gemini's           Sporadic  +2(1)
+1(1)  0(3)
UT                         Gemini's                          Sporadic
0130-0135     1        +2(1)
0135-0140     0
0140-0145     1        -1(1)
0145-0150     0
0150-0155     1        +1(1)
0155-0220     Observed Comet Machholz during this period, there were
several Geminids during this time but I did not record them.
0220-0225     1        +3(1)
0225-0230     1        +3(1)
0230-0235     0
0235-0240     2        +3(1)  -1(1)
0240-0245     0
0245-0250     1                                              +1(1)
0250-255      Break
0255-0300     0
0300-0305     1        0(1)
0305-0310     0
0310-0315     1        +3(1)
0315-0320     5        +3(1)  +2(2)  +1(1)  0(1)
0320-0325     1        0(1)
0325-0330     0
0330-0400     Break
0400-0405     6        +1(1)  0(2)  -1(1)  -4(1)                0(1)
0405-0410     1        0(1)
0410-0415     1        0(1)
0415-0420     1        +1(1)
0420-0425     4        +2(2)  +1(1)  0(1)
0425-0430     8        +2(2)  +1(4)  0(2)
0430-0435     3        +3(1)  +2(1)  0(1)
0435-0440     1        0(1)
0440-0445     1        +2(1)
0445-0450     4        +1(2)  0(1)  -1(1)
0450-0455     2        +1(1)  -1(1)
0455-0500     Break
0500-0505     2        0(1)  -1(1)
0505-0510     0
0510-0515     1        -6(1) Best of Night, slow very green, long train,
smokey train left
0515-0520     1        +1(1)
0520-0525     5        +2(1)  0(3)  -1(1)
0525-0530     2        0(1)  -2(1)
0530-0535     4        -1(1)  -2(1)                       +2(1)  0(1)
0535-0540     3        +4(1)  +2(1)  0(1)
0540-0545     0
0545-0550     3        +2(1)  +1(2)
0550-0555     1        -2(1)
0555-0600     1        +1(1)
0600-0605     2        +3(1) 0(1)
0605-0610     2        +1(1) 0(1)
0610-0615     1        +2(1)
0615-0620     1        +1(1)
0620-0625     3        +2(1)  +1(1)  0(1)
0625-0635     Break
0635-0640     2        0(1)  -1(1)
0640-0645     3        +2(1)  +1(1)  0(1)
0645-0650     2        0(2)
0650-0655     2        +1(2)
0655-0700     2        +3(1)  +1(1)
0700-0705     2        0(2)
0705-0710     3        +2(1)  +1(1)  0(1)
0710-0715     3        +2(1)  +1(1)
0715-0720     4        +3(1)  0(2)  -1(1)
0720-0725     6        +2(1)  +1(2)  0(1)  -2(1)               0(1)
0725-0730     8        +3(1)  +2(2)  +1(3)  0(2)
0730-0735     3        -1(2)   -5(1)
0735-0740     4        +3(1)  0(2)  -3(1)
0740-0745     8        +3(1)  +1(2)  0(3)  -2(1)  -3(1)
0745-0750     4        +3(1)  +1(2)  -3(1)
0750-0755     8        +2(1)  +1(5)  0(1)  -3(1)Left a four second
smokey train   
0755-0800     4        +2(1)  +1(1)  0(2)
0800-0805     3        0(2)  -2(1)
0805-0810     4        +2(1)  +1(2)  0(1)
0810-0815     2        0(1)  -2(1)
0815-0820     4        +3(1)  +2(1)  -2(1)  -5(1)Bright white/gold left
3 second smoky train
0820-0825     4        +2(1)  +1(2)  -1(1)
0825-0830     3        0(1)  -1(1)  -4(1)