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Re: (meteorobs) Question?

In a message dated 97-08-25 18:13:49 EDT, you write:

<< 
 If you are not aware than I am 15, then it is obvious. <<

Jonathan..dot it is very obvious that you are 15 or less.

 >>You see, I 
 have to go to bed at 10:30 PM local time, or 0230 UT. I try to look 
 through the window after I ordered to go to bed.By midnight, I am 
 so tired I can't focus my eyes, and then of course I stop. <<

This is what is meant by striving for quality as a goal rather than Teff time
or number of meteors. Racking up hours under substandard conditions isn't of
much use. That is under low LM's, obscured skies, times of low meteor
activity, fatigue conditions...or looking thru a window that tends to refract
and distort light. All these combined makes your data rather useless. I would
concentrate on trying to encourage your parents or a responsible adult
guardian to accompany you to a quality location with prior preparation to
achieve a worthwhile observation...even if it ends up being one nite per
year...sure beats 15 nites of fooling yourself. 

  >>  But 
 apparently you think that after-midnight observing are more important 
 than pre-midnight observations.  Why do you think this?  There may be 
 more activity after midnight, but does that make it more important?
  >>

It makes it more useful...If you wish to find some statistical meaning to
what you see, it would help to have a significant number of meteors to work
with. Prior to midnight there is seldom enough meteors worth the effort for
nearly all nites of the year. Couple this with the marginal observing
conditions you have in the first place....LM's near 5.0 or less as you've
reported in the past...what you see will for the most part be happenchance
and insignificant...not worth trying to make much out of it. If you are
looking for the possible meteorite dropping fireball....there is no way to
plan for that occurring. I use to start my observatons right after sunset
till dawn....Very few fireballs seen with lots of hours of effort that would
be of the kind that might drop meteorites...and as for hourly meteor
rates...under very dark clear skies...some hours I see nothing...and that
happens quite often. An active hour is when I see two meteors of any kind.
Still not enough to mean anything.
George Zay
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