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(meteorobs) Perseids from Singapore

Hi!
        Just an informal report on the low-profile Perseids Meteor
Shower in heavily light polluted Singapore.
        A group of us started watching the shower from 1830 UT
(Singapore time - UT + 8 hours). However, the first orange meteor
without a train was spotted below Saturn moving over 5 degrees of the
sky at 1915 UT, from left to right, with point of radiance in Perseus,
magnitude about -1.0. Before and after this, two dim sporadic meteors
were seen.
        About 25 minutes later, another orange meteor of magnitude
higher than -1.0 was spotted in the same direction as the previous
Perseid. This one covered a longer distance. Still no train visible.
After this, another sporadic meteor was spotted in the direction of
Jupiter to Saturn on its right side. This one was nice..dot it stretched
almost 45 degrees lasting a split second. Short but nice...=)
        Thereafter, a few dim Perseids were spotted without
colours...about 2...and we waited till almost 2000 UT (clouds had
threatened to blot out the sky...but strangely, a circular region
covering Perseus, Jupiter, Saturn amd Taurus was left uncovered by the
water crystals...;)) before things started to heat up again with
sightings at the rate of 1 or so every other 8-12 minutes (pathetic
figures for the peak period of the shower)...=)
        From there onwards, I did not note the timings...(sorrie!) as my
group was beginning to have fun watching the meteors. Many of them were
first timers so excitement grew with each meteor. I missed one beautiful
one in the direction of north to south overhead (altitude 80 degrees,
stretching about 20+ degrees) so I am unable to describe it. But it was
supposedly brighter and lasted longer than the rest. Most of them lasted
about 1 second at the most. But from 2125 UT onwards, my friends
reported seeing 1 Perseids meteor every other minute for a period of
time. Sad to say, I had already left as dawn was soon to break...=(.
Anyway, =) the main thing was that we amateur skygazers had an enjoyable
time learning about meteors and meteor showers...and had some fun
looking out for the Pleiades, Orion, Taurus, Perseus etc...thanks to the
clear skies that night!
            Hope you enjoyed yourselves too! ;)

To clear beautiful unpolluted skies =) forever...,
Kelvin...

--
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       Seet's Condominium
http://wwwdot singnet.com.sg/~auvoir
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