(meteorobs) Correction re: my Perseids report

meteors at eclipse.net meteors at eclipse.net
Mon Aug 21 11:41:29 EDT 2006


Bruce,
Everyone's eyes are different. If you used the star count method, you
should stick to the readings you took. I have observed with Lew Gramer,
whose eyes are so much better than mine it made me ill. His LM was
consistently between 0.5 and 1 mag better than mine, so much so that when
counting area 8 (in Taurus) I was seeing a dozen stars, he ran out of
fingers toes and other appendages. Good thing he's such a great guy :)
As with anything else in meteor observing, you must record the LM you see,
and the meteors you see, not the ones you hear other people see. If you
start fudging things, it will only decrease the value of your data.
That's my opinion, anyway.
Why did you find his estimate more satisfying than yours? Perhaps if we
can understand why you think so, we can get to the root of the problem.
You should actually be including the star count areas and readings with
your observations.
I know it's tough, I know when I started out it was a challenge to learn
how to record all the data accurately. I don't know how much experience
you have, but like everything else in life, it's a learning process!! :-)

Meteor Wayne


> Further to my Perseids report of August 13, I have conferred with my
> observing buddy Alister Ling as recorded below. In retrospect I am more
> satisfied with his estimate of limiting magnitude than my own. Accordingly
> I
> wish to alter my limiting magnitude estimate, and submit the revised
> report
> at bottom.
>
> My apologies (blush!), but I'd rather get it right.
>
> Bruce
> *****
>
>>> Hey Al, I wonder if you got a sense of the limiting magnitude from
>>> Blackfoot during the Perseid night. I reported 5.0 to 5.2, but on
>>> reading
>>> your report on amastro about rain-washed skies and looking at my own
>>> reasonably good meteor counts I think I might have got it wrong. Never
>>> did discuss it with you that night as we usually do ...
>>> Bruce
> *****
>
>> Based on the visibility of the Milky Way, I'd say it was closer to 5.6 -
>> perhaps even better.
>> Alister.
> *****
>
> Observer: Bruce McCurdy
> Location: Blackfoot Staging Area ~ 112.78° W., 53.54° N.
> Date: 2006 August 13, 8h-10h UT
> Teff = 2.0 hours
> LM = 5.6
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Hour 1
> (15-minute bins)              PER    KCG   SPO
>
> 8h UT - 8:15                      7           1        1
> 8:15 - 8:30                        10          -         1
> 8:30 - 8:45                          4          1         -
> 8:45 - 9h                           10          -         -
> ----------------------------------------------------
>                                           31          2        2
> ----------------------------------------------------
> Hour 2
> (10-minute bins)                PER      KCG   SPO
>
> 9h UT - 9:10                       4            -        1
> 9:10 - 9:20                          3            -        1
> 9:20 - 9:30                          7            -        1
> 9:30 - 9:40                          5            -        1
> 9:40 - 9:50                          5            -         -
> 9:50 - 10h                           4            -         -
> ----------------------------------------------------
>                                          28            -         4
> ----------------------------------------------------
>
> Totals                                59            2         6
> ===================================
>
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