[Prev][Next][Index][Thread]

(meteorobs) Observations Aug 25/26 ZAYGE/dust speck

Meteor Observations for Aug 25/26, 1997...ZAYGE

Well....might as well post a rough idea as to the kind of activity I seen
last night...I observed 5 Teff hours from 6h13 UT(23h13 PDT) to 12h00UT (5am
PDT). I plotted all that I could...missed about 3 or 4 due to not seeing them
good enough. I recorded a total of 50 meteors during this period.  The
brightest was a -2 that showed up during the last half hour.  I don't have a
shower break down yet...though I suspect most were sporadics.  The first hour
I recorded 7 meteors...the last hour I recorded 15. It will be enteresting to
look at the plots later...I had the "feeling" that I saw two Perseid
stragglers...anyway they had the "looks" of being Perseids. I just quickly
glanced at the plots and there seems to be 6 meteors radiating from an area
in Lacerta. Still have to consider velocities and other possible shower
alignments to see what's left. The skies were clear all night and the moon
wasn't too much of a bother. The first two hours were moonless...after it
rose, I faced Northwest with an average LM in the neighborhood of 5.8. I
operated a camera but I doubt I caught anything. 

Yesterday morning I finished printing up the rest of my meteor photos from my
recent Perseid campaign.  After examining one print, I noted what I thought
was a very small speck of dust that appeared to be on the negative. Looking
at it closer with a telescope eyepiece, I was just barely able to note that
it was a meteor image with the breaks so close that I almost couldn't make
them out. It appears to be a Perseid. I guess it pays to look at possible
dust specks that might be on the negatives? 

My next observing nite is planned for Aug 31/Sep1 during the alpha
Aurigids...not expecting a whole heck of a lot...but hopefully will be there
to see what shows up...then shuttle on into work at dawn and hope for a
relatively slow day. 

I guess the other night there was an intruder at the observatory that made so
much noise that it woke up my father in law who lives on the property...with
rifle in hand he steps outside to be confronted by a large racoon that
growled like a dog. Later.
George Zay
Follow-Ups: