(meteorobs) Geminid prospects from the land where Celsius and Fahrenheit meet

[Bruce McCurdy]

    As you might guess from the subject, prospects are not good here in 
"Sunny Alberta". The Sun has indeed returned today , but it's so cold that 
it's just as important to get away from the heat as the light. The city 
forms a "heat island" -- using the term very loosely indeed -- that raises 
the temperature by 5-6 degrees at the expense of heat exhaust from all those 
buildings and vehicles which will significantly degrade transparency to put 
it mildly.

    Of course, to get away from the heat island one faces this:

Issued : 11.00 AM MST Saturday 12 December 2009
Today
Clearing near noon. Temperature steady near minus 35.

Tonight
A few clouds. Low minus 42.

Sunday
Sunny with cloudy periods. High minus 34.

Monday
Sunny. Low minus 40. High minus 30.

Tuesday
Sunny. Low minus 34. High minus 26.

... which is the forecast for Elk Island National Park, which forms part of 
Beaver Hills Dark Sky Preserve and is adjacent to my preferred observing 
site. Those temperatures are Celsius, though it hardly matters ... indeed 
tonight's low will look even worse if it's converted. :o

    Now you may be thinking, isn't this the guy who observed the Quadrantids 
last January at a similar temperature? That time I was up in Vee Lake in the 
Northwest Territories with Steve Bedingfield who has an ultra-reliable, 
toasty-warm vehicle equipped with a "meteor roof". My car is not equipped 
with such an opening, so my first thought was to maybe try some car window 
observing which is a pain in the neck but beats the alternative which is 
exposure. But the thermostat in my car is busted, still wasn't putting out 
any heat after a half hour drive today, so that seems to be not in the cards 
either.

    My last alternative is to find another friend who lives down here in the 
"south" who has an ultra-reliable, toasty-warm vehicle (mandatory) equipped 
with a meteor roof (preferred option) and, importantly, who wants to go 
observing with me tomorrow night. It would probably help if said person was 
clinically insane.

    Bruce
    *****