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Re: (meteorobs) Perseid data August 8/9 MISKO
At 09:47 10-08-97 -0400, you wrote:
>Ok I have just started observing meteors and am wondering what to expect. DO
>you just go out there and stare at the sky every night or is there some
>special place to look. If you could please give me some tips on how to
>observe i wouould be greatful.
>Thanks
>John
>
Hello John,
Observing meteors is very easy -or so it seems for the basic technique,
which is getting to a dark location, put down a lawn chair (with a sleeping
bag, if cold), go rest on your back and look at the sky. Any part of the
sky will do in principle, but if you want to go at some time into serious
observing, it is best to center your view at about 60-70 degrees altitude
above the horizon. If there's a stream active (e.g. the Perseids at this
moment), choose this 70 degree altitude point at about 40-60 degrees from
the stream radiant . So east-southeast is fine for the Perseids as a
viewing direction.
Now try not to stare to one point, but gradually move your view across the
part of the sky you chose to observe in. Now, it is a matter of
perseverance, but these days around the Perseid maximum you will quickly
note meteors going down. Note that you will see quite a lot of them at the
edges of your field of view.
Note that there is not really a point in the sky where 'most' meteors will
appear. They appear all over the sky, but the area just below the zenith is
best (at lower altitude, the sky is less bright and meteors are further
away in the atmosphere, becoming more faint and therefore more easy
missed), and you should avoid observing in a part of the sky at too large
distance from the radiant (= >100 degrees distance).
Novice observers generally still miss the larger part of the fainter
meteors, but with some practise, this quickly improves.
If you think you have the feeling for seeing the meteors, you can try to
expand your observations to 'serious' observing, which is 'data gathering'
on rates etcetra. You can simply count the meteors and divide them in
Perseids and non-Perseids first. Perseids are the fast meteors that
seemingly flee from a point in the top of Perseus, near the double clouster
(some degrees to the southeast of it). Meteors that do not flee this point
or are slow are either 'sporadics' (belong to no stream) or members of some
minor streams that are active too. You will see some meteors coming from
near the Aquarius water jar, for example: thes belong to the 'delta
Aquarid' stream.
Then try to estimate the brightness of the meteors by comparing them to
stars. Some nice reference stars are:
Vega: mag 0
Deneb: mag +2
polaris and the pegasus stars: mag +2
Cygnus stars of the main cross: +3
Cygnus western wingtip stars: +4
Either write the info down on paper (use dimmed red light) or speak them
into a cassette-recorder.
Divide your data into ~1 hour intervals and estimate the sky limiting
magnitude each hour.
Basically, you should start by just looking and enjoying the falling
meteors. If you think you like it, you can extend this starting in the way
expressed above. Note, that things might be difficult first, but become
much more easy with some experience and routine.
When you have any practical questions, just ask them on this newsgroup.
There are plenty of experienced observers reading this whch are willing to
help you.
So, Succes tonight! Hope to read your results on this newsgroup soon!
-Marco Langbroek
Leonids-'98? A once (twice?) in your lifetime appearance! You can't afford
to miss it!
Casper ter Kuile, Akker 145, NL-3732 XD, De Bilt, The Netherlands
Phone: +31-30-2203170; Fax: +31-30-2202695; GSM: +31-6-54723974
E-mail1: pegasoft@cc.ruudot nl; E-mail2: casper.ter.kuile@rivmdot nl
WWW: http://www.pidot net/~terkuile/meteors/dms.htm
References: