(meteorobs) A few Geminids

Paul Martsching pmartsching at mchsi.com
Sat Dec 13 13:02:25 EST 2014


We have been having a very long stretch of overcast weather in central Iowa, with the Sun barely peeking thru once in a great while.  Last night was most likely my only chance to see any Geminids this year, as the weather forecast is for "overcast" the next several nights.  There was fog in the river valleys and a bit of general thin fog otherwise as I drove out to McFarland Park.  When I began observing there was obvious fog downhill to the West of the observatory "hump".  This gradually got higher and then after two hours dense fog suddenly moved in, ending the session.  The Geminids were mostly faint, tho I did see three negative magnitude meteors.  The two - 1 GEM's were yellow; all the rest of the GEM's were white.  No more than the briefest of trains with the negative magnitude GEM's.  

13 Dec 2014 0325-0425 UT 31 degrees; dew point 30 degrees; calm; clear with horizon haze/fog; average LM ~5.0; facing East 50 degrees; teff 1.0 hour.
Geminids: nine: -2; -1; 0; +1; +2(3); +3; +4
Sporadics: three: +2; +3(2)
Total meteors: twelve

13 Dec 2014 0425-0525 UT 29 degrees; dew point 28 degrees; wind SE 3 mph; clear with fog; average LM ~5.0; facing East 50 degrees; teff 1.0 hour.  During the last few minutes the Moon was up in the East, but very much dimmed by fog and strangely the "big Moon near the horizon effect" did not seem to be present.  
Monocerids(?): one: +3
Geminids: twelve: -1; +2; +3(6); +4(4)
Sporadics: three: +2(2); +3
Total meteors: sixteen

I did not see any Geminids last year because of the weather.  Well, maybe next year???

Paul Martsching





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