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(meteorobs) Re: July 30/31 meteors rather sluggish
Finally had a clear night, and am again missing the current one. 1997 July
30/31 I observed 4 hours in LM7.3 sky, then 20 minutes in LM7.0 sky,
recording 80 meteors. 8 more minutes into twilight got no more. Observing
covered 126 - 554 EDT. Jupiter was an annoyance ; blocking it out with a
cardboard sheet edgewise revealed a good many faint stars being blotted out.
Capricornus also was glowing with gegenschein. The zodiacal band was also
prominent along with zodiacal light later. I was watching about 25 degrees
above Jupiter at the start, and was relieved as it moved westward.
My favorite test double star is the wide 6m pair located position 2 o'clock
3 degrees from Alpha Equulei, when culminating. If I can't see this easily,
it's a dull night.
526-626 UT 1.00 F1.00 LM7.3 7 SDA 2 NDA 4 SIA 1 NIA 3
CAP 2 SPO 19 TOT
626-726 UT 1.00 F1.00 LM7.3 6 SDA 2 NDA 1 CAP 1 PAU 2
PER 16 SPO 28 TOT
726-826 UT 1.00 F1.00 LM7.3 5 SDA 2 NIA 2 cCAP 1 PER 5
SPO 15 TOT
826-926 UT 1.00 F1.00 LM7.3 1 SDA 1 PAU 1 KCG 1 CAP 4
SPO 8 TOT
926-946 UT 0.33 F1.00 LM7.0 4 SDA 2 SIA 1 CAP 1 PAU 1
PER 1 SPO 10 TOT
The last two can be combined. For comparison to past years I separated them
here.
The second hour had the two brightest meteors within a quarter hour. First
was a pure white -2m Pisces Austrinid with 3-second train. I was astonished
at the unusual color. Then a strongly yellow 0m Alpha Cap with a terminal
flash at -2m, again pure white. The Kappa Cygnid was an intense yellow 0m
-- earliest I've ever seen one.
Overall, I was pleased with the second hour, but the others were a bit slow.
The final hour was almost dead, then in the extended time it got rather
active again. Comparing with activity of the 70's and early 80's, today
the Aquarids are cut in half, the Alpha Caps have almost dried up, and even
the early Perseids are much less. Below are the same hours as this morning,
but from earlier years with the same conditions, giving the total hourly rates :
1973 : 27,23,20,23
1976 : 44,41,---, 26 ; last one is just 33 minutes
1981 : 16,25,32,41 ; average 20% cloudy first 3, LM7.5 last hour
Guess these things run in cycles. I wonder how many more years at the lower
levels there will be? In 1995 in what little observing I could do in this
period, I didn't see diddley-squat.
In other sky entertainment, two 2m satellites crossed paths
perpendicularly, with closest approach only a quarter-degree separation.
Mosquitoes are moderately bad ; I used skin-so-soft plus the cardboard fan.
Joan will have to skip the Perseids this year ; just can't handle the
mosquitoes out there. One problem developing : encephalitis carried by
mosquitoes has appeared around Palm Beach, on the other coast. If it
spreads here, I can't go out until the bugs die off. Should be OK to cover
the Perseids.
Norman