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(meteorobs) Re: post-Geminid max nights



A couple more nights after Geminid max were clear in SW Florida.  In fact,
they were superb nights with LM7.4 and no clouds.  The only nights that week
with any clouds at all were Dec 12/13 and Dec 13/14; even then it wasn't for
long.  I didn't have time to report anything until now.

1996 Dec 14/15 :

226-604 EST (726-1104 UT) 20 Geminids, 6 Sigma Hydrids, 4 Monocerotids, 8
Coma Berenicids, 1 South Chi Orionid, 1 North Chi  Orionid, 1 Puppid-Velid,
1 Delta Arietid, 2 December Leonids, 26 sporadics, 70 total. A lot of
different showers.   The last two are outside the IMO list.  Delta Arietids
come from Cook's list (1973) and are strikingly slow.  December Leonids are
dubbed thus by Florida observers starting in 1972, some years present up to
4/hour.  Puppid-Velids must be good from the southern hemisphere ; I have
the radiant only 15 degrees up at best and still see 1 or 2 most nights ;
nice long paths and usually trained.  How far north has anyone seen one of
these?


1996 Dec 15/16 :

226-556 EST (726-1056 UT) 9 Geminids, 5 Sigma Hydrids, 2 Monocerotids, 1
Coma Berenicid, 1 Puppid-Velid, 3 December Leonids, 27 sporadics, 48 total.

In recent reports for the IMO I slipped back into AMS mode for the F factor,
listing partly cloudy hours as a multiplicative factor less than 1.  These
need to be converted to IMO mode, with F factor being a divisive factor
greater than 1.  Just take the reciprocal of the F I gave in such cases.
Seems like the math could be simplified in the ZHR formula by putting F
upstairs in the fraction instead of its reciprocal being placed downstairs.

No more observing since the Quadrantids.  Dense fog followed for over a
week, then a change to cooler weather with mostly clouds and some rain.  No
end in sight.  I got really lucky in seeing all of the major showers
Orionids to Quadrantids in excellent conditions.  The year's totals I don't
have yet.

Norman
Fort Myers, Florida