(meteorobs) Quads and Questions

Lew Gramer Lew.Gramer at noaa.gov
Thu Jan 5 11:33:46 EST 2006


On Wednesday 04 January 2006 19:07, bmccurdy at telusplanet.net wrote:
> I wonder if others on this list have experience with what I call "deja
> vu observing", and how do/can you deal with it? Can I simply blame it on
> deteriorating vision, or is the only cure a full frontal lobotomy? ***

Well, some might say that a lobotomy is the only way of curing meteor 
observers generally, Bruce. :)


This is an interesting question! One of the things that intrigues me about 
meteor observing, is that it gives you an inkling of just how complex human 
perception really is - maybe better than other kinds of astronomy...

I've not experienced what you describe very often, but every once in a while. 
It seems to be related to fatigue for me - not necessarily lost acuity.

More often though when I am observing, maybe doing IMO Limiting Magnitude star 
counts (which can seem like a never-ending activity in a really dark sky!), 
I'll suddenly realize that I've already seen one, sometimes two or even three 
meteors, which I have not logged!

I also have occasions where I can't be sure, but think I see activity near my 
edge of field - for me, Distance from Center of Vision or "DCV" of about 40o 
is usually the limit for mid-magnitude meteors, 20o for fainter ones.

My general rule on whether to log ANY meteor, though, is what I can glean from 
it: if I can determine (and remember) to my own satisfaction at least ONE of 
the two key data on the meteor - either magnitude OR shower association - I 
log it. If I can't determine either of these without "guessing", I don't.

And of course, if I'm unsure of one of the two data, I put a "?" next to it.


Part of avoiding all three of these problems is experience - that is not HOW 
LONG I've been observing meteors, which is a relative constant for me at this 
stage in my life. But more importantly, how often have I been out observing 
LATELY? Too infrequent sessions have been a problem for me in the past, as it 
could often be 4 to 6 months between meteor logging sessions for me.

Another key to avoiding all three is to avoid fatigue: for those of us with 
"day jobs", of course, this can be extremely difficult. We often have the 
choice between observing tired, or not observing at all! Still, I've noticed 
that in past sessions, all three kinds of "trip ups" - not reacting to a 
meteor, reacting but fogetting to log it, and not being sure whether you saw 
anything at all - are much more likely to occur when I'm tired. Having a 
spare hour to catnap can make a huge difference, though! My general rule is 
that a one hour "rest" will give me 3 extra hours of alert observing. :)

Clear skies for the New Year, all!
Lew Gramer


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