(meteorobs) Re: 5th magnitude "ceiling"

[FELIX A MARRTINEZ]

Two of the 21 meteors that I observed on Saturday morning (Oct 20/21)
here in Central Virginia were 5th magnitude meteors.  My LM was a bit
better than 6.0 on that morning.    I should have "sucked it up" and
pressed on, even with a sore back to observe more!  The skies were fairly
dark and crystal clear!!  Great reports what turns out to be a superb
Orionid display!!!
                                                                        
More Clear Skies & Many Meteors - Felix


On Tue, 24 Oct 2006 14:59:59 -0700 "Robert Lunsford"
<lunro.imo.usa at cox.net> writes:
> Rich and All,
> 
> I feel it is simply far easier to see a fixed sixth magnitude star 
> verses a 
> sixth magnitude meteor zipping along at twenty degrees per second. 
> The 
> limiting magnitude estimates are still good indicators of sky 
> transparency, 
> which definitely affects the activity ones sees.
> 
> Those who report an LM of sixth magnitude and report many sixth 
> magnitude 
> meteors are either underestimating their LM or underestimating their 
> meteor 
> magnitudes.
> 
> I have seen a few sixth magnitude meteors. They are impossible to 
> see unless 
> they occur near the center of your field of view. I see many more 
> fifth 
> magnitude meteors but they are far more difficult than viewing fifth 
> 
> magnitude stars.
> 
> I hope this helps!
> 
> Bob
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Richard Taibi" <rjtaibi at hotmail.com>
> To: <meteorobs at meteorobs.org>
> Cc: <lunro.imo.usa at cox.net>
> Sent: Tuesday, October 24, 2006 2:28 PM
> Subject: FW: 5th magnitude "ceiling"
> 
> 
> > Let me complete my thought!  I sent the original message below 
> when I 
> > meant to "save draft."
> >
> > My point was that inspecting all of the reports observers posted, 
> and for 
> > those who reported nearly +7 magnitude skies, no one reported 
> seeing a 
> > sixth magnitude meteor.  To be sure, there were many fifth 
> magnitudes.  It 
> > strikes me as being odd that there was almost a two-magnitude 
> margin 
> > between the faintest observed meteors and the limiting magnitude.
> >
> > I wonder what observers think may be happening when they observe?  
> Do you 
> > think that our limiting magnitude determination procedures somehow 
> mislead 
> > us in terms of faintest meteors we can expect to see?  Is this 
> explainable 
> > in terms of acuity in the center of the field of view?  After all, 
> we find 
> > limiting magnitude by looking fixedly at star regions. (Perhaps the 
> best 
> > predictor of faintest meteor to expect is limiting magnitude "off 
> axis" 
> > from our central vision.)  But if this is true, what about deep 
> sky 
> > observer's maxim that averted vision shows the faintest objects?  
> May 
> > moving light sources, as meteors are, explain some of this "5th 
> magnitude 
> > ceiling?"
> >
> > Best wishes,  Rich
> >
> >
> >>From: "Richard Taibi" <rjtaibi at hotmail.com>
> >>To: meteorobs at meteorobs.org
> >>Subject: 5th magnitude "ceiling" Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 21:26:24 
> -0400
> >>
> >>I have read with admiration and awe all of you who had clear, 6th 
> 
> >>magnitude skies, and many Orionid meteors.  I checked a few of you 
> who 
> >>reported skies darker than +6: Bob L., George Gliba, Michel V.,
> >>
> >>
> >
> > 
> 
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