(meteorobs) Submitting meteor observing reports

[meteorsga at bellsouth.net]

> Once I get my data together I'd like to submit them to the correct
> parties in a timely fashion. I believe reports should be sent within
> 30 days of the observation. Is that right as well?

Al, try to write up your reports as soon as possible.  You may overlook and forget important details about your observation if you wait several days.  If you just go ahead and use an e-mail template, then your reports are ready to send as soon as you are through writing them up.  They don't have to be sent in immediately -- but they should be written up immediately.  

If you want your data to be used by the IMO for the Global shower anaylses, then you MUST send in data observed around the peak dates of major showers as soon as possible.  Rainer and others at the IMO who reduce and analyze the data do it quickly;  you may miss out having your observations used in these analyses if you are more than a day or two late in submitting after the shower peaks.

Getting reports done and submitted quickly, unfortunately, is one of the chores that we observers have to face especially around major shower dates.  During non-major-shower dates it is not quite so imperative.  If you visit the IMO Meteor Shower Calendar (2005) at their website,you'll get a good idea which showers the IMO is focusing on for a given year.

Hope this helps,
Kim Youmans