(meteorobs) Geminids

[Skywayinc at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/14/2009 11:44:11 A.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
BJSummers writes:
 

A great show last night. Thanks for the heads-up!
 
I decided to head out at 3 a.m. EST. Skies were 90%  clear (some high 
"schmutz" down near the western horizon).  LM was +5.0 for  me which is pretty 
typical for my part of Putnam County, NY. Not a breath  of wind and thankfully 
not overly cold either (35 F).  I saw 20 Gems in 40  minutes.  I really 
wasn't doing any "serious" observing (I was just  standing and constantly 
scanning around the sky . . . I didn't break out the  long lounge chair).  
 
Most of the meteors I saw were white with a tinge of yellow  and were 
magnitude +1 to +2.  Very few left any lingering trails. A couple  reached 0 to 
-1 magnitude, but nothing really outstanding in terms of any  fireballs or 
bolides. At least twice, I had thoughts about heading inside  because there 
were lulls of 5 or 8 minutes when I saw absolutely nothing.   Then, just as 
suddenly, there would be a "burst" of 3 or 4 in only about  30-seconds.  It 
was almost as if the Geminids were saying, "Wait . . .  don't go!  How's 
this?"  
 
Then, bing! bang! zoom!

At 3:40 a.m, the high schmutz from the west rapidly began to  overspread 
much of the sky.  I did see one more Geminid through these  clouds . . . very 
close to Castor . . . almost a "radial" (point)  meteor. After that I called 
it a night. Considering I was shutout of both  the Perseids and Leonids 
this year thanks to unwelcome clouds, the "Gems"  provided a nice consolation 
prize.  
 
At this start of this year, I also saw a nice Quadrantid  display, so the 
Quads and the Gems were my "bookends" (with not much in  between!).
 
-- joe rao