(meteorobs) Faint Perseid Spectra

[Ed Majden]

Rascals:
    On the night of Aug 11/12, 2005 I set up two slitless meteor
spectrographs from my backyard observatory.  Two faint Perseid spectra were
secured, the same meteor created both.  The meteor was somewhat out of the
normal field of view but because the way a grating works a bright meteor
near the field can produce a spectrum.  The spectrum was secured on exposure
No. 11 which started at 10:50 U.T. and ended at 11:20 U.T. on 12 August.
That's "REAL EARLY" in the a.m.  Only a couple of faint chopped (because of
a rotating shutter) lines were recorded, probably the H & K lines of Ca+ at
the blue end of the spectrum.  Because this is just a faint Perseid
recording, the spectrum will probably not be measured as it will add nothing
to the overall knowledge of meteor spectra.  Better luck next time I hope.
Please send all shadow casting brighter than the Moon fireballs in this
direction!  I need a "super" spectrum of one!  ;-)  I even have a target
painted on my 1982 Ford F100, ha! ha!
    I would like to thank my colleague John Purdy for processing the films
and building the chopping shutter system.

Ed Majden  B.C. - Fireball Network Coordinator - AMS Meteor Spectroscopy
West Coast Sandia Bolide Detection Station
Courtenay B.C. CANADA

http://members.shaw.ca/epmajden/index.htm