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(meteorobs) Re:rather good Sep 17/18 meteors
After several nights of haze cutting two magnitudes off the LM, finally Sep
17/18 was clear. Cold fronts often mess things up here, bringing down haze
from further north. One made it to Tampa, but that's still a hundred miles
short of my area.
Sep 17/18 was nice, LM 7.3 throughout. Three hours beginning 226 EDT (626
UT) were totals 15,11,16. A final 3/4 hour had only 8 more. Minors were no
KAQ, 2 SOR, 3 SPI, and 5 DAU. I was pleased with the last one, best show yet
for me. Very distinctive fast ones, all but one left trains. Nothing seen
brighter than 0m. The most interesting was a 5m going 25o but taking 4
seconds to do it; I like the slow, leisurely meteors.
One radiant on my plots: 063,+17,size 1.5o, 5 meteors, fast, 5o W of
Aldebaran. Compares nicely with a radiant from 6 nights ago that was 10o W
of Aldebaran. On the latest I disqualified one slow meteor that grazed the
radiant circle.
Nights are about as hot as it gets: at 11 PM it's 83oF with humidity 85,
feels like 96o on heat index. At observing site further inland slightly
cooler, dropping to perhaps 76o by end. Actually feels like a touch of
coolness. Bugs not too bad; I can keep them off by fairly continuous
fanning with a sheet of cardboard. Lid of a pizza box is ideal. Been
rather dry Aug and Sep so bug numbers are lower than last year. I also need
to fan to defog my glasses. Long pants worn just for bug defense,otherwise
could observe comfortably with nothing on. Never have done a session in
the buff; an IR satellite pass might record something.
Norman