(meteorobs) Geminids from Oregon?!

[Wes Stone]

I actually got in two Geminid observing sessions this year. Too bad it was in the middle of a work week, but I'll take what I can get. The last time I observed the peak night of the Geminids from such dark and cloud-free skies was 1993!

Here are a couple of short notes on the sessions. Full reports will come after I'm completely conscious.

The appetizer:
2007 December 12/13; 1239-1341 UT. Teff~1.0h
Skies were really iffy with some fog and cirrus, but managed to stay clear. Average limiting magnitude was 6.0. In one hour, I observed 19 Geminids, 1 Sigma Hydrid and 7 Sporadics. The brightest meteor was a -2 Geminid.

The main dish:
2007 December 13/14; 0744-1021 UT. Teff~2.5h
Skies were remarkably good for peak night with average LM of 6.8. In 2.5 hours, I observed 235 total meteors, including 207 Geminids. There were lots of spurts and lulls. The highlight of the night was a -4 Geminid, very long and vivid blue with a wake. This color was duplicated in a -2 just before I signed on.

--
Wes Stone
Chiloquin, OR
http://skytour.homestead.com


So he slept on a mountain.
In a sleeping bag underneath the stars 
he would lie awake and count them.
And the gray fountain spray of the great Milky Way
would never let him die alone.
--Wilco