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(meteorobs) Re: Bolide Camera Report - Vancouver Island

        We have been operating the Sandia Bolide Cameras at Victoria B.C.
and Courtenay, B.C. on Vancouver Island for about one month.  To get this
report in perspective, the Sandia All-sky Cameras use a 0.3 lx (F-1.4) Image
Sensor Video Type security camera to photograph a convex 18 inch mirror.
This combination gives you 180 degree coverage.  As for the sensitivity of
the system, Vega is about the limit of detectability.  The cameras are red
sensitive so a redder star would appear brighter.  Jupiter at magnitude -2.7
is quite bright.  I would estimate the faint magnitude detectability at
about ~-2.0 mag for a moving object like a meteor.  This has not been
established with any certainty as yet.
        I was clouded out in Courtenay on Aug 11/12, although I did record
one Perseid at 22:57:25 Pacific Daylight Time, (PDT), magnitude ~3.0.  This
was through a hole in the clouds.  Dave Balam, in Victoria B.C. recorded 4
Perseids on August 11/12 under clear skies. The brightest was estimated at
~-6.0 mag. On August 12/13, I had clear sky conditions in Courtenay, and
recorded the following:

                Aug 12/13 -  23:26:53 PDT  Perseid  -3.0 mag
                             00:45:17 PDT     "
                             00:57:37 PDT     "      faint ~ -2.0 mag
                             02:06:09 PDT     "     -3.0 - 4.0 mag
                             02:17:21 PDT     "     -3.0 mag
                             03:04:48 PDT     "     -2.0 mag

Note: Add 7 hours to convert to U.T.

        Dave is still checking last night tapes in Victoria.  Probably no
mutual events were recorded because of the magnitude distribution.  This is
being checked however.  The approximate separation between sites is ~200
kms. Another site will be set up at the half way point, hopefully soon.
Because of moon interference after midnight no spectrographs were set up for
this observation.

Ed Majden
Vancouver Island Bolide Network

                
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Edward Majden                         epmajden@mars.ark.com
1491 Burgess Road                     Meteor Spectroscopy
Courtenay, B.C.                       AMS Affiliate
CANADA  V9N-5R8                       MIAC Associate
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