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Re: (meteorobs) Zay #1
Bob<<
Speaking of insights were there not two founders of NAMN?
Oh yes, I recall now, you have forgotton about that other fellow.<<
GeoZay>>>Originally....no....just one and that was me. I had it started and
organized with people sending me reports 2 or 3 months before mark came
onto aol. When he did he asked if I wanted to start a meteor organization
with him. Being polite I let him in as a co founder and never elaborated
that I already had it up and going. Originally it was known as the Meteor
Network.<<<<
mark>>I just spent some time looking through the fairly extensive collection
of
meteor books and journals I have here and found no reference to such a
group.
Was this group on the aol message boards only, or did they go outside and
observe?<<
No you won't find any reference to the Meteor Network in any meteor books or
journals....only in people's memories. Some of those people are still on your
list. I know at least 2 for sure. If I had the list in front of me, I could
probably pick out more. I was just getting the group together on aol and had
about a dozen people by mid april of 1995. The first target observation
attempt for the group was the 1995 Lyrids (in April). To get to this point, I
had already gathered people and was busy trying to drum up interest and give
instructions on how to observe. By then I've already written my first "How to
Record Meteor Data" and was emailing it to people who came aboard. I was
also postal mailing plotting charts to each individual that I got to sign
on. Something I continued to do for some while even after you came on. When
the 1995 Lyrids came and gone, I had the usual number of people reporting to
me that they were rained or clouded out. Not surprising for the first
coordinated effort. That is often the story today also, particularly for the
lyrids when weather is often not so good for observing. I did have one
person that did get some observing time in that I know of for sure...maybe a
couple others, but can't remember now? I believe I forwarded that persons
report to IMO? It's also just as possible that I didn't if the quality of the
report wasn't adequate for IMO standards. Something I would still do today.
Being it was the persons first attempt, it would be no surprise that the
quality wouldn't be adequate to send on to IMO. Anyhow, I just happened to
remember that this individual was in Jamaica on business and that was where
she observed from on some beach. I'm still in contact with her today and she
is well known on aol's astronomy section. I know there was one individual
from Wyoming and another from Colorado who reported clouds and snow. There
was another from Nevada who either sent me a report or also reported clouds?
I can't remember now. Not a big start, but it was nonetheless started prior
to your signing onto aol and it was referred to as the Meteor Network. I'm
almost certain that our next coordinated effort was the 1995 eta
aquarids(May). I don't think anyone other than myself was able to do any
observing during that period that were also part of the budding Meteor
Network. Again folks reported being clouded or rained out. When you came on
board and we started under the title of NAMN, that was how we had all of a
sudden about a good dozen or so members. I believe the first target shower
after you came aboard was the 1995 delta aquarids(July 28)? I was even
referring to the attempted coordinated dates as "Target Showers" from the
very beginning....not just when you came on. I just tried going back on
aol's message boards to find some postings that might refer to my attempts to
form the Meteor Network prior to your joining up, but everything in the
astronomy section prior to Jan 1997 has been deleted.
mark>>If so, were these observations archived? I assume that was done by you,
and
is available upon request for all of us to see?<<
No archiving was done. It wasn't necessary. At that time I was more
interested in drumming up more observers where the data could be sent to IMO.
It would have been redundant if I archived anything myself. That was my
initial plan. After you signed on, I let you tend to the archiving mainly to
give you something to do and keep you interested.
mark>>Were these reports sent to the IMO? If so, I should be able to locate
them
fairly quickly if you will provide the reference as long as it wasn't before
1989 when I joined. <<
What reports I did receive, which were few of course, were sent to IMO if
they were of quality. To submit anything other than quality reports was
against what I had planned. If I got below standard reports, I simply made
corrections and returned them so that they can learn what their mistakes
were. Come to think of it, I now remember doing exactly that to the report I
got from the lady who observed from Jamaica. Still, people were already
being directed by me under the Meteor Network title.
mark>>Btw, when was it you first joined IMO?<<
Sometime in 1991.
mark>>begin quote>
As relatively new members to the electronic community, George
Zay and I accidentally met each other over America OnLine. <<
Actually you contacted me after reading one of my posts about meteors. You
recognized my name since you contacted me via postal mail somewhere between
1992 and 1994. Then you introduced yourself as IMO's Liazon or perhaps
someother related title? You even had stationary with some letterhead stating
as such. You suggested that if I were to write any articles that I should
submit it to you first to proof read and that you would submit it to wherever
for me. I had no problem with this at the time and sent you an article that
I wrote about observing fireballs that I was going to send to Meteor News.
You proof read it and it was printed in Meteor News....but with you as the
Author. At the time I made no big deal about it since it didn't involve
money. :o) It was only later years that I noted a pattern.
GeoZay
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